Guess what? I just posted a blog that doesn't take up 3 pages and 45 minutes to read...Just thought you ought to know!
th
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Thinking of Childlike Faith
I, being the avid outdoorsman that I am, like to read Field and Stream magazine. Not having a subscription to this fine publication myself, and being unwilling (generally) to pay newsstand prices, I recently did what I normally do...I perpetually borrowed my dad's copy. In the latest copy I have there was an article written about outdoor survival skills. I always like to read these just for grins, and because, who knows...someday it might really be necessary to know some of those things, but I digress. So I am sitting reading this article the other afternoon, and Nathan is sitting on the couch next to me. I'm reading through the part where they have interviewed a survival skills instructor and he is discussing eating bug...in particular grasshoppers. He give the protein and iron contents (twice the iron and only .3g less protein than a spoonful of lean ground meat), discusses the methods people use to help them go down (remove the legs and head so it doesn't stick in your throat), talks about how roasting them is essential because it kills any bacteria or parasites, and ends by saying "Once you get past the bug phobia...it's really just a little spoonful of meat...think of it that way." So, I'm sitting there and shuddering at the idea of eating grasshoppers, and decide to see what Nathan will say. So I show him the picture and ask him. It went something like this:
"Nathan, would you like to eat a grasshopper like that?"
"NO WAY!"
"What if you were lost in the wilderness and had no food?"
"I'd just look for something else to eat."
"What if you couldn't find anything else and the grasshopper was all you had?"
(At this point Nathan stops and shudders a little himself before replying)
"Then I would just pray and ask God to help me find something else to eat."
Yes, you may now take a moment to say "Aaaawhh, that's so sweet." which, by the way, is what I initially did too. ("Nathan, that's a fantastic answer! I'm glad that you would first turn to God and ask Him to help you. I know that He would because God answers our prayers doesn't He?""Yes, He does.")
Okay, so the sweet moment is now past and the meat of this blog comes to be...Nathan's answer has been haunting my thoughts for the past several days.
I am increasingly certain that children have a knowledge of who God is beyond anything adults can even imagine. I think this is exemplified even in scripture too. But here is the thing which stuck with me, what has been haunting me...my son's faith that God would provide for him.
See, Jessie and I have been diligent in trying to teach your boys (and soon our girl) about who God is, that we can trust Him, that He is faithful, that He cares for us, He died for us, He loves us, He wants a relationship with us, all the wonderful things about the Christian's walk with God. We want our kids to grow up knowing their Father, and not just a passing head knowledge of Him, and intimate, passionate knowledge, experiential, relational, and beyond anything we could ask or imagine...that kind of "words can't describe it" knowledge of God, that only comes from Him alone. So we have tried to teach them, and many times I have been surprised by them. Here is the thing that has bothered me though: I was reading this article saying to myself, "I could maybe do it...if I was really hungry enough." Nathan says, "I'd just ask God...He'll give me something to eat."
Yes, it's simplistic, yes he's just a kid, but that is the whole point...His faith hasn't been tainted by thoughts of what God can't do, or won't do...he simply believes Him to do. Nathan simply will take Him at His word and believe that God will care for him and provide for his needs.
This made me think..."What happened that I stopped thinking that way? That I stopped believing that way?" See, I have been told on more than one occasion that I have an unusual amount of faith, perhaps I do, but I find myself at times wondering if God can do such and such, or if God will answer my prayer.
What happened to my childlike belief?!
The word tells us again and again that kind of faith is key:
Matthew 18:3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Isaiah 11:6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
Mark 10:14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
This last one is mentioned twice in the gospels, it is also in Luke 18:16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."
How many of us have lost a childlike faith? Is your God only "big enough" for what you're doing now? Or is He the one who hold the universe together with His spoken word, who holds it in the palm of His hand, and for whom the very rocks will cry out in praise? How big is your God? I urge you do NOT try and make Him small, for He IS NOT. I could go on for some time about that alone, but I want to wrap this up.
My niece is three, and she recently had to go and have a scope done to check out her digestive system and see if there was something wrong. They put her out for this. Want to guess what she told my sister-in-law when she came too? "Jesus was right there with me while I was sleeping."
Nathan was three when one of my best friends died of cancer. It was a tough thing because Mark had been sick for some time, and he and his wife had been friends of mine for a long time. It was very sad for us all, and I for one, was wondering why it might have been that God didn't answer our prayers for Mark's healing. I wouldn't say it was a trying of my faith really, but I was just wondering why he wasn't healed. Jana (Mark's wife) asked us to come back to the church and eat with the family after the funeral. So, Jessie and I picked up Nathan and Noah, who had not gone to the funeral, and went back to the church. I will never forget the conversation we had on the way there though. Nathan says, "Daddy, where are we going?" "We're going to eat with Jana and Mark's family." "Is Mark going to be there?" "No, Nathan, Mark died and went to live with Jesus." (This is the part that still brings me to tears today) "Oh...he went there so Jesus can heal him?" (long pause as my eyes fill with tears) "Yes, son, that's exactly why...so Jesus can heal him."
I maintain what I said, that children have insight into who God is that we can't begin to imagine as adults. They simply believe and trust Him, it's about what He will do, not about what He won't. It's about what He can do, not what I think He can't. When will we realize this truth and start trusting Him the way He intended?
Paul said, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Guess what? I'm convinced too.
So, that being said, I am exercising my childlike faith. One desire I've had for the past couple of years is to get totally out of debt. I think this is something that God has laid on my heart in order that my family can being to be a blessing to others, something we cannot do if we are in debt, at least not in a financial manner anyway. But, believing that this is something God has laid on my heart, and Jessie's heart too, I am no longer going to look at our debt and shake my head going, "It's gonna be 30 years before we get all this paid off." (When I say out of debt, I'm including my house in that too.) So, I am believing and asking God to provide $100,000 for us before the end of the year. That will allow us to get totally out of debt, and also to have a nice sum left over that we can start using to bless others, and to provide a future for our family. I don't know how He is going to do that, but I am excited to see Him do so. I ask for you to join with us in prayer for this. I am excited to see it happen and to see God provide above and beyond all that I could ever ask or imagine.
I urge you to put to death your doubt, and exercise your childlike faith once again and wait to see God provide.
In Christ Alone,
th
"Nathan, would you like to eat a grasshopper like that?"
"NO WAY!"
"What if you were lost in the wilderness and had no food?"
"I'd just look for something else to eat."
"What if you couldn't find anything else and the grasshopper was all you had?"
(At this point Nathan stops and shudders a little himself before replying)
"Then I would just pray and ask God to help me find something else to eat."
Yes, you may now take a moment to say "Aaaawhh, that's so sweet." which, by the way, is what I initially did too. ("Nathan, that's a fantastic answer! I'm glad that you would first turn to God and ask Him to help you. I know that He would because God answers our prayers doesn't He?""Yes, He does.")
Okay, so the sweet moment is now past and the meat of this blog comes to be...Nathan's answer has been haunting my thoughts for the past several days.
I am increasingly certain that children have a knowledge of who God is beyond anything adults can even imagine. I think this is exemplified even in scripture too. But here is the thing which stuck with me, what has been haunting me...my son's faith that God would provide for him.
See, Jessie and I have been diligent in trying to teach your boys (and soon our girl) about who God is, that we can trust Him, that He is faithful, that He cares for us, He died for us, He loves us, He wants a relationship with us, all the wonderful things about the Christian's walk with God. We want our kids to grow up knowing their Father, and not just a passing head knowledge of Him, and intimate, passionate knowledge, experiential, relational, and beyond anything we could ask or imagine...that kind of "words can't describe it" knowledge of God, that only comes from Him alone. So we have tried to teach them, and many times I have been surprised by them. Here is the thing that has bothered me though: I was reading this article saying to myself, "I could maybe do it...if I was really hungry enough." Nathan says, "I'd just ask God...He'll give me something to eat."
Yes, it's simplistic, yes he's just a kid, but that is the whole point...His faith hasn't been tainted by thoughts of what God can't do, or won't do...he simply believes Him to do. Nathan simply will take Him at His word and believe that God will care for him and provide for his needs.
This made me think..."What happened that I stopped thinking that way? That I stopped believing that way?" See, I have been told on more than one occasion that I have an unusual amount of faith, perhaps I do, but I find myself at times wondering if God can do such and such, or if God will answer my prayer.
What happened to my childlike belief?!
The word tells us again and again that kind of faith is key:
Matthew 18:3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Isaiah 11:6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
Mark 10:14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
This last one is mentioned twice in the gospels, it is also in Luke 18:16 But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."
How many of us have lost a childlike faith? Is your God only "big enough" for what you're doing now? Or is He the one who hold the universe together with His spoken word, who holds it in the palm of His hand, and for whom the very rocks will cry out in praise? How big is your God? I urge you do NOT try and make Him small, for He IS NOT. I could go on for some time about that alone, but I want to wrap this up.
My niece is three, and she recently had to go and have a scope done to check out her digestive system and see if there was something wrong. They put her out for this. Want to guess what she told my sister-in-law when she came too? "Jesus was right there with me while I was sleeping."
Nathan was three when one of my best friends died of cancer. It was a tough thing because Mark had been sick for some time, and he and his wife had been friends of mine for a long time. It was very sad for us all, and I for one, was wondering why it might have been that God didn't answer our prayers for Mark's healing. I wouldn't say it was a trying of my faith really, but I was just wondering why he wasn't healed. Jana (Mark's wife) asked us to come back to the church and eat with the family after the funeral. So, Jessie and I picked up Nathan and Noah, who had not gone to the funeral, and went back to the church. I will never forget the conversation we had on the way there though. Nathan says, "Daddy, where are we going?" "We're going to eat with Jana and Mark's family." "Is Mark going to be there?" "No, Nathan, Mark died and went to live with Jesus." (This is the part that still brings me to tears today) "Oh...he went there so Jesus can heal him?" (long pause as my eyes fill with tears) "Yes, son, that's exactly why...so Jesus can heal him."
I maintain what I said, that children have insight into who God is that we can't begin to imagine as adults. They simply believe and trust Him, it's about what He will do, not about what He won't. It's about what He can do, not what I think He can't. When will we realize this truth and start trusting Him the way He intended?
Paul said, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Guess what? I'm convinced too.
So, that being said, I am exercising my childlike faith. One desire I've had for the past couple of years is to get totally out of debt. I think this is something that God has laid on my heart in order that my family can being to be a blessing to others, something we cannot do if we are in debt, at least not in a financial manner anyway. But, believing that this is something God has laid on my heart, and Jessie's heart too, I am no longer going to look at our debt and shake my head going, "It's gonna be 30 years before we get all this paid off." (When I say out of debt, I'm including my house in that too.) So, I am believing and asking God to provide $100,000 for us before the end of the year. That will allow us to get totally out of debt, and also to have a nice sum left over that we can start using to bless others, and to provide a future for our family. I don't know how He is going to do that, but I am excited to see Him do so. I ask for you to join with us in prayer for this. I am excited to see it happen and to see God provide above and beyond all that I could ever ask or imagine.
I urge you to put to death your doubt, and exercise your childlike faith once again and wait to see God provide.
In Christ Alone,
th
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Normal Christian Life
What is the normal Christian Life?
I see many things in churches and hear many things taught in churches, but what does the normal Christian life look like?
I ask this because we had a healing service at church tonight, at least in part because of that; but also because of another story relayed to me, and also because it is simply something that I think about, and have talk with my wife about before.
To many people the normal Christian life looks like this: Go to church at least once a week (twice if I am really being holy), pay the tithe (probably about 10%, give or take), maybe volunteer to help with some church project, maybe pick up the Bible and thumb through it before going to bed, possibly even pray if one remembers to turn off the radio on the way to work.
To many, this is a normal Christian life. Granted I might be exaggerating somewhat, but I think if you took an honest poll, I probably wouldn't be too far off.
These Christians living this normal Christian life, also swear at the problem which just came up at work, use combative and ridiculing language (coupled with sign language) at the driver they feel cut them off today, come home and berate their children and wife for not being good enough, or for spending too much money, or not being quiet enough, all while kicking back with their beer and watching a rousing episode of Family Guy on TV.
The problem I have is that this is not the normal Christian life I read about in the Bible.
Most people seem to have taken bits and pieces and are missing other sections...Maybe they only have part from a bible smuggled into china a few pages at a time. (If that's the case let me know and I'll find you a whole one.)
So, why I write this tonight. First, let me relay the story as it was told to me.
My wife and I know a family who recently adopted a child whom they had fostered for some time. The situation this child came out of was very bad, and she is in a great family now. She also happens to be in our toddler class at church. The family is great and the little girl is great, except whenever she was first dropped off for class. Her mom has to run in, set her down and then run like a sprinter for the door, while this little one used to start a crying, tirade. You would have thought to see it that she had just lost her mother forever. Now, apparently this had happened at home as well. The dad, was training in classes at church which are basically classes to develop leaders for ministry. He had asked his mentor in the program to come out to the house and pray for their newest daughter, about these fits. His mentor agreed and then came back and told him, "I'm not coming, but here is what God said to do: You are going to pray for her. Tonight you put her to bed and wait until she is good and asleep, and make sure she is sound asleep. Then you go in anoint her with oil and pray over her. Say that you are her father and have authority over her. Then, in Jesus' name you command the spirit of rejection to leave her forever. She is going to sit straight up wide awake, and you tell that spirit to leave and never return. Then she will lay right back down and go right back to sleep." So, he did as his mentor directed. They put her to bed and waited till she was sound asleep. Then her went in, and anointed her with oil and prayed over her, that he was her father and was the authority and covering over her. Then he commanded the the spirit of rejection to leave her forever in the name of Jesus. This little girl sat up, wide awake and looked at him. He told the spirit to leave her and go into the dry places to never return. She laid back down sound asleep. Now, for the best part. She comes to church tonight, and rather than the screaming crying fit when she is dropped off for class...wait for it...wait for it...wait...for...it...she walks calmly into class and sets to playing right away. Freed forever from a spirit of rejection by a father who loves her, the Savior her father follows, and her father's willingness to take said Savior at His Word.
Reason 2: So tonight at church we held a healing service. I figured I'd go since my back is better but not perfect yet, and the fact that I LOVE seeing God move and miracles taking place. I love being a part of it. We had one lady who was deaf who took out her hearing aids and was able to hear people whispering...total miracle of deaf ears being opened. Another lady had been 10 years with sciatic nerve damage, and she had been unable to climb stairs without intense pain and something to hold on to. She was healed right there, no pain anymore in her legs, and she began walking up and down the stairs to the podium (which have no handrails) without any help.
Now you can debate the authenticity of such things if you want to. Did every person who asked for prayer get an instant healing? No. Will they all be healed? We can debate that another time. Did I get a miracle tonight? Yes and no. While I was waiting to be prayed for, I felt a burning run up and down my sciatic nerve in my left leg, which is where I have had all my pain. I could literally feel it in the nerve itself, it was centered there. I do not have as of this moment, any pain in my back or legs, and it's been 5 hours or so now. I do still have some tightness in my calf and some numbness in my foot, but I believe God has healed me, and I will see and feel a total manifestation of that healing in the days ahead. Why wasn't it instant? I don't know, but it doesn't matter, I believe God and will trust Him to do what He said He would do.
So here's the quandary I'm in. Why do we not see this every day? Every church service? Have you looked at the book of Acts in your Bible? What about in Acts 5 when the people were putting the sick in the streets so that Peter's shadow might fall upon them, "and they were healed every one"?
Or how about what goes on in Matthew 10: "These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions...As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons."
Remember in Matthew 11 before John the Baptist was killed? "When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor."
Or again in Mark 16: "He[Jesus] said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. ...And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.' ...Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it(emphasis added)."
I read over and over again that if we believe, then we should be seeing signs and wonders following us as we go. So, why don't we? I don't find anything in the Bible to support a cessationist view (the view that the gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as tongues, prophecy and healing, etc. ceased being practiced early on in Church history.) For one thing, I've seen too much and been used too often in the gifts myself to not believe they are alive and well today. So, why does they church not see this all the time? Why are services like this one tonight the exception and not the norm?
I think it is because we have too often accepted that the normal Christian life is what I first mentioned above. Go to church, pay tithe, maybe pray, occasionally open a Bible (after dusting it off), etc. Whatever happened to living as strangers and pilgrims on this earth...living with sacrifice and commitment, tears and fasting, and touching a lost world with our lifestyle and commitment?
I want more than the accepted norm for my Christian life.
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out; no longer good for anything, except to be trampled by men.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden."
God's a little like Jimmy Buffet, looking for his lost shaker of salt...Looking for us.
II Chronicles 16:9a, "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him."
I want to be found by Him. I want to chase after Him, and take hold of Him and dance.
Even now let it begin again, I want to do what my father said I would do. Holy Spirit come, lead us, empower us, teach us, but most of all, just use us. Let the privilege be ours of coming alongside of You oh God and joining in what You are doing.
I see many things in churches and hear many things taught in churches, but what does the normal Christian life look like?
I ask this because we had a healing service at church tonight, at least in part because of that; but also because of another story relayed to me, and also because it is simply something that I think about, and have talk with my wife about before.
To many people the normal Christian life looks like this: Go to church at least once a week (twice if I am really being holy), pay the tithe (probably about 10%, give or take), maybe volunteer to help with some church project, maybe pick up the Bible and thumb through it before going to bed, possibly even pray if one remembers to turn off the radio on the way to work.
To many, this is a normal Christian life. Granted I might be exaggerating somewhat, but I think if you took an honest poll, I probably wouldn't be too far off.
These Christians living this normal Christian life, also swear at the problem which just came up at work, use combative and ridiculing language (coupled with sign language) at the driver they feel cut them off today, come home and berate their children and wife for not being good enough, or for spending too much money, or not being quiet enough, all while kicking back with their beer and watching a rousing episode of Family Guy on TV.
The problem I have is that this is not the normal Christian life I read about in the Bible.
Most people seem to have taken bits and pieces and are missing other sections...Maybe they only have part from a bible smuggled into china a few pages at a time. (If that's the case let me know and I'll find you a whole one.)
So, why I write this tonight. First, let me relay the story as it was told to me.
My wife and I know a family who recently adopted a child whom they had fostered for some time. The situation this child came out of was very bad, and she is in a great family now. She also happens to be in our toddler class at church. The family is great and the little girl is great, except whenever she was first dropped off for class. Her mom has to run in, set her down and then run like a sprinter for the door, while this little one used to start a crying, tirade. You would have thought to see it that she had just lost her mother forever. Now, apparently this had happened at home as well. The dad, was training in classes at church which are basically classes to develop leaders for ministry. He had asked his mentor in the program to come out to the house and pray for their newest daughter, about these fits. His mentor agreed and then came back and told him, "I'm not coming, but here is what God said to do: You are going to pray for her. Tonight you put her to bed and wait until she is good and asleep, and make sure she is sound asleep. Then you go in anoint her with oil and pray over her. Say that you are her father and have authority over her. Then, in Jesus' name you command the spirit of rejection to leave her forever. She is going to sit straight up wide awake, and you tell that spirit to leave and never return. Then she will lay right back down and go right back to sleep." So, he did as his mentor directed. They put her to bed and waited till she was sound asleep. Then her went in, and anointed her with oil and prayed over her, that he was her father and was the authority and covering over her. Then he commanded the the spirit of rejection to leave her forever in the name of Jesus. This little girl sat up, wide awake and looked at him. He told the spirit to leave her and go into the dry places to never return. She laid back down sound asleep. Now, for the best part. She comes to church tonight, and rather than the screaming crying fit when she is dropped off for class...wait for it...wait for it...wait...for...it...she walks calmly into class and sets to playing right away. Freed forever from a spirit of rejection by a father who loves her, the Savior her father follows, and her father's willingness to take said Savior at His Word.
Reason 2: So tonight at church we held a healing service. I figured I'd go since my back is better but not perfect yet, and the fact that I LOVE seeing God move and miracles taking place. I love being a part of it. We had one lady who was deaf who took out her hearing aids and was able to hear people whispering...total miracle of deaf ears being opened. Another lady had been 10 years with sciatic nerve damage, and she had been unable to climb stairs without intense pain and something to hold on to. She was healed right there, no pain anymore in her legs, and she began walking up and down the stairs to the podium (which have no handrails) without any help.
Now you can debate the authenticity of such things if you want to. Did every person who asked for prayer get an instant healing? No. Will they all be healed? We can debate that another time. Did I get a miracle tonight? Yes and no. While I was waiting to be prayed for, I felt a burning run up and down my sciatic nerve in my left leg, which is where I have had all my pain. I could literally feel it in the nerve itself, it was centered there. I do not have as of this moment, any pain in my back or legs, and it's been 5 hours or so now. I do still have some tightness in my calf and some numbness in my foot, but I believe God has healed me, and I will see and feel a total manifestation of that healing in the days ahead. Why wasn't it instant? I don't know, but it doesn't matter, I believe God and will trust Him to do what He said He would do.
So here's the quandary I'm in. Why do we not see this every day? Every church service? Have you looked at the book of Acts in your Bible? What about in Acts 5 when the people were putting the sick in the streets so that Peter's shadow might fall upon them, "and they were healed every one"?
Or how about what goes on in Matthew 10: "These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions...As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons."
Remember in Matthew 11 before John the Baptist was killed? "When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor."
Or again in Mark 16: "He[Jesus] said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. ...And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.' ...Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it(emphasis added)."
I read over and over again that if we believe, then we should be seeing signs and wonders following us as we go. So, why don't we? I don't find anything in the Bible to support a cessationist view (the view that the gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as tongues, prophecy and healing, etc. ceased being practiced early on in Church history.) For one thing, I've seen too much and been used too often in the gifts myself to not believe they are alive and well today. So, why does they church not see this all the time? Why are services like this one tonight the exception and not the norm?
I think it is because we have too often accepted that the normal Christian life is what I first mentioned above. Go to church, pay tithe, maybe pray, occasionally open a Bible (after dusting it off), etc. Whatever happened to living as strangers and pilgrims on this earth...living with sacrifice and commitment, tears and fasting, and touching a lost world with our lifestyle and commitment?
I want more than the accepted norm for my Christian life.
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out; no longer good for anything, except to be trampled by men.
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden."
God's a little like Jimmy Buffet, looking for his lost shaker of salt...Looking for us.
II Chronicles 16:9a, "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him."
I want to be found by Him. I want to chase after Him, and take hold of Him and dance.
Even now let it begin again, I want to do what my father said I would do. Holy Spirit come, lead us, empower us, teach us, but most of all, just use us. Let the privilege be ours of coming alongside of You oh God and joining in what You are doing.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
I'm disappointed
I am disappointed. Yes it is about the alcohol vote. I was praying that it would not pass. But God also many times gave men over to their sins. He gave Isreal a king when they wanted one, even though they were never supposed to have one. That's just a quick off the top of my head example.
The reason for my disappointment though is even more than the propositions passing. Okay, so alcohol will be around. It already was. I don't want it at the grocery store. Let alone all the increase in crime and alcohol related crimes that the city and county WILL now see. I think it is wrong that a semi-govermental entity (Chamber of Commerce) forced this issue. But, they have the right to be greedy: We do live in America after all. I do think however, that a person under the legal drinking age should not have been allowed to vote for alcohol sales, perhaps I can get that amendment brought up to a senator or congressman.
What really disappoints men though it the vast number of Christians who supported this move. Does the Bible say "Do not drink"? No, it does not. Did Jesus drink wine? It is mentioned, although many biblical scholars say that the wine mentioned in scripture is not the same as what you buy at the liqour store...or I guess now the grocery store. This does include the wine Jesus made at the wedding. But that is another issue all together.
I am disappointed that in this day and age, the church in the "Bible Belt" refused to take a stand for morality. And the thing that saddens and disappoints me even more is that there will probably be people, even Christians, who will read this and say "What a non-issue!" "He must just be 'religious'!" "This guy is off his rocker. I be he drinks! What a hippocrite!"
Well, yes I do on occation drink. I am also over 21, and legally able to do so. I have never been drunk, or buzzed, and do not ever want to be. My occation for a drink tends to be maybe once or twice a year...if that.
I am dissapointed to read of the pastors and senior pastors who actually supported this measure. I'm sorry, but what happened to living a life "above reproach"? Yes, there are major issues the church needs to address, and many other social issues which are probably more important that alcohol. I must ask though, "Where do you draw the line at taking a stand?"
This simply shows me that what they found in 2000 had only become worse in the state of the church. In 2000, they found that less then half of SENIOR pastors in this nation held a Biblical worldview. And we see the results coming out in elections like this one today.
I fear that soon, unless something major in the church changes, you will see the church turn more and more into the world and to what the world offers. We already see churches the refuse to condemn homosexuality; churches in favor of legalizing drugs; churches who discuss the best way to weather the recession as the main sermon on sundays.
Where do we draw the line?
I have to say, "tolerance" will mean the death of Christianity in America. Christianity is not and cannot be a tolerant religion. We miss it when we are intolerant without the love of Christ (which is far too often the norm), but Christianity cannot be tolerant. I do not ever, anywhere in the Bible, see a tolerant gospel from God. Jesus did not live a tolerant life. Chrisitans are to follow His example, and that does mean we are to be intolerant of sin, but still show God's love. Easy to say but tough to do in practice, perhaps, but nonetheless, the example we are given.
I fear that we are seeing the death of the American church, or maybe we are just seeing echoes of something that died a long time ago...that is for God to decide, but the church in the country needs CPR desperately (that's Christ Perpetuated Revival). I pray that we can see a new generation rise up who are willing to stand for God regardless of the cost.
I fear that "dark and difficult times lie ahead", that "soon we must all choose between whet is right...and what is easy."
I pray that God will spare us in His mercy and we might see a true revival...it will be welcomed...at least by me and my house.
th
The reason for my disappointment though is even more than the propositions passing. Okay, so alcohol will be around. It already was. I don't want it at the grocery store. Let alone all the increase in crime and alcohol related crimes that the city and county WILL now see. I think it is wrong that a semi-govermental entity (Chamber of Commerce) forced this issue. But, they have the right to be greedy: We do live in America after all. I do think however, that a person under the legal drinking age should not have been allowed to vote for alcohol sales, perhaps I can get that amendment brought up to a senator or congressman.
What really disappoints men though it the vast number of Christians who supported this move. Does the Bible say "Do not drink"? No, it does not. Did Jesus drink wine? It is mentioned, although many biblical scholars say that the wine mentioned in scripture is not the same as what you buy at the liqour store...or I guess now the grocery store. This does include the wine Jesus made at the wedding. But that is another issue all together.
I am disappointed that in this day and age, the church in the "Bible Belt" refused to take a stand for morality. And the thing that saddens and disappoints me even more is that there will probably be people, even Christians, who will read this and say "What a non-issue!" "He must just be 'religious'!" "This guy is off his rocker. I be he drinks! What a hippocrite!"
Well, yes I do on occation drink. I am also over 21, and legally able to do so. I have never been drunk, or buzzed, and do not ever want to be. My occation for a drink tends to be maybe once or twice a year...if that.
I am dissapointed to read of the pastors and senior pastors who actually supported this measure. I'm sorry, but what happened to living a life "above reproach"? Yes, there are major issues the church needs to address, and many other social issues which are probably more important that alcohol. I must ask though, "Where do you draw the line at taking a stand?"
This simply shows me that what they found in 2000 had only become worse in the state of the church. In 2000, they found that less then half of SENIOR pastors in this nation held a Biblical worldview. And we see the results coming out in elections like this one today.
I fear that soon, unless something major in the church changes, you will see the church turn more and more into the world and to what the world offers. We already see churches the refuse to condemn homosexuality; churches in favor of legalizing drugs; churches who discuss the best way to weather the recession as the main sermon on sundays.
Where do we draw the line?
I have to say, "tolerance" will mean the death of Christianity in America. Christianity is not and cannot be a tolerant religion. We miss it when we are intolerant without the love of Christ (which is far too often the norm), but Christianity cannot be tolerant. I do not ever, anywhere in the Bible, see a tolerant gospel from God. Jesus did not live a tolerant life. Chrisitans are to follow His example, and that does mean we are to be intolerant of sin, but still show God's love. Easy to say but tough to do in practice, perhaps, but nonetheless, the example we are given.
I fear that we are seeing the death of the American church, or maybe we are just seeing echoes of something that died a long time ago...that is for God to decide, but the church in the country needs CPR desperately (that's Christ Perpetuated Revival). I pray that we can see a new generation rise up who are willing to stand for God regardless of the cost.
I fear that "dark and difficult times lie ahead", that "soon we must all choose between whet is right...and what is easy."
I pray that God will spare us in His mercy and we might see a true revival...it will be welcomed...at least by me and my house.
th
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Obession
I've been reading a book by Ted Dekker, Obsessed. If you have not read anything by Ted Dekker, I'd advise picking up one of his books. He is a christian author, and writes an outstanding book, although I'm not entirely sure he's completely sane. Just read some of his books and you'll see what I mean. I jest though. One thing I've come across in his books is that he has a tendency to slip in dynamic life-changing theological ideas in a sentence or two, and then not really expound too much on them. He'd rather just let it penetrate the reader's mind and fester I think. Case in point, I came across on of these little snippets in the book Obsessed the other day. The character was recalling a sermon he'd heard on the Parable of the Hidden Treasure (Matt. 13:44) It's a short one, some people recall, other's don't know it. it's basically like so: [Jesus said,] "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." The statement that hit me is as follows though. "He seemed to be saying that man's passion for God ought to look more like desperation rather than reason."
Profound huh? Think about it though. How many times do we let our passion for God look like reason? Let's have a nice calm reasonable worship service. Let's let the Holy Spirit lead us as long as He leads us in a reasonable manner and doesn't ask anything too strange.
I think that I am...no, scratch that, I AM tired of reasonable worship. I want my passion for God to be an obsession, a desperation, for Him. I want to actually be able to truthfully say as the psalmist did in Psalm 42: "As the dear thirsts for the water falls, so my soul longs for you oh God."
I want to be a desperate man, a man obsessed with Him, and with leading others to Him. My wife and parents and I had a discussion the other night about Spiritual warfare. I got a bit loud, as I can when talking about something important to me; and it went something like this, "What are you worried about? God has not given us a spirit of fear, and we are battling a defeated enemy who has no weapons! Why would we NOT engage in spiritual warfare?!"
I want to see what God can do through a desperate man. or woman, or family. Police officers will tell you that a desperate person is one of the most dangerous you can deal with. They have nothing to lose. You don't know what they will do next, or what move they might make. They are not rational, they do not abide by reason, and they do not make reasonable decisions. I want to be a desperate Christian.
I want to see what God can do with a desperate person, and through a desperate person. Do you want to see blind eyes opened? Do you want to see deaf ears hear? Do you want to see the dead raised to life? The demons cast out, the enemy defeated, and the land claimed for the Lord? I say we need some desperate people!
I think I might be beginning to have a glimpse of what Paul was saying in Phillippians when he said, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ..."
You know Paul's back story, he was the next top dog in training for the Pharisiees. He studied under the top guys, went to the best schools, and knew it all by heart. He lived out what he believed to a tee. None could match his obsession with the law. And then, in a moment, he sees God, has a face to face encounter basically, and he says, "Everything I did is rubbish!" "I only want Jesus!" He was a desperate man. I want to be too. And I want to teach others to be as well.
Tell me what you think, and please keep me in your prayers for my back, that it will continue to get better, it is not 100% yet. Stiffness in leg and range of motion are my main problems at the moment.
I leave you with this.
"He seemed to be saying that man's passion for God needs to look more like desperation than reason."
th
Profound huh? Think about it though. How many times do we let our passion for God look like reason? Let's have a nice calm reasonable worship service. Let's let the Holy Spirit lead us as long as He leads us in a reasonable manner and doesn't ask anything too strange.
I think that I am...no, scratch that, I AM tired of reasonable worship. I want my passion for God to be an obsession, a desperation, for Him. I want to actually be able to truthfully say as the psalmist did in Psalm 42: "As the dear thirsts for the water falls, so my soul longs for you oh God."
I want to be a desperate man, a man obsessed with Him, and with leading others to Him. My wife and parents and I had a discussion the other night about Spiritual warfare. I got a bit loud, as I can when talking about something important to me; and it went something like this, "What are you worried about? God has not given us a spirit of fear, and we are battling a defeated enemy who has no weapons! Why would we NOT engage in spiritual warfare?!"
I want to see what God can do through a desperate man. or woman, or family. Police officers will tell you that a desperate person is one of the most dangerous you can deal with. They have nothing to lose. You don't know what they will do next, or what move they might make. They are not rational, they do not abide by reason, and they do not make reasonable decisions. I want to be a desperate Christian.
I want to see what God can do with a desperate person, and through a desperate person. Do you want to see blind eyes opened? Do you want to see deaf ears hear? Do you want to see the dead raised to life? The demons cast out, the enemy defeated, and the land claimed for the Lord? I say we need some desperate people!
I think I might be beginning to have a glimpse of what Paul was saying in Phillippians when he said, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ..."
You know Paul's back story, he was the next top dog in training for the Pharisiees. He studied under the top guys, went to the best schools, and knew it all by heart. He lived out what he believed to a tee. None could match his obsession with the law. And then, in a moment, he sees God, has a face to face encounter basically, and he says, "Everything I did is rubbish!" "I only want Jesus!" He was a desperate man. I want to be too. And I want to teach others to be as well.
Tell me what you think, and please keep me in your prayers for my back, that it will continue to get better, it is not 100% yet. Stiffness in leg and range of motion are my main problems at the moment.
I leave you with this.
"He seemed to be saying that man's passion for God needs to look more like desperation than reason."
th
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
St. Patrick's Day...a day late
I was asked yesterday, on Saint Patrick's Day why it was a holiday. I decided to post a quick blog about it, even though it is now over. It allows me to refresh my memory about who he was (Yes, there was a St. Patrick), and also about how it came to be a holiday, so without further ado...
Not a lot of solid details are actually known about St. Patrick. Patrick may have been born in Dunbarton, Scotland, or Cumberland, England, but many scholars place his birthplace in northern Wales, c.390 AD. He called himself both a Roman and a Briton, which leads to some of the debate as to his birthplace. At 16, he and a large number of his father’s slaves and vassals were captured by Irish raiders and sold as slaves in Ireland. Forced to work as a shepherd, he suffered greatly from hunger and cold. After six years, Patrick escaped, probably to France, and later returned to Britain at the age of 22. His captivity had meant spiritual conversion. He may have studied at Lerins, off the French coast; he spent years at Auxerre, France, and was consecrated bishop at the age of 43. After entering the Church, he had a dream vision in which it seemed “all the children of Ireland from their mothers’ wombs were stretching out their hands” to him. He understood the vision to be a call to do mission work in pagan Ireland. His great desire was to proclaim the Good News to the Irish. Despite opposition from those who felt his education had been defective, he was sent to carry out the task. He went to the west and north, where the faith had never been preached, obtained the protection of local kings and made numerous converts; however, little is known about the places where he worked and no link can be made between Patrick and any particular church.
By the eighth century he had come to be revered as the patron saint of Ireland. The Irish monastery system evolved after the time of Patrick and the Irish church did not develop the diocesan model that Patrick and the other early missionaries had tried to establish.
Upon returning to Ireland Saint Patrick went under the Gaelic second name of Daorbae (meaning - He was enslaved) so, he was known as Patricius Daorbae, during his Irish ministry.
As one of the earliest Christian missionaries traveling abroad to spread the Christian faith, Saint Patrick is important because he serves as a testament to the overall missionary legacy of the Church. His example afforded later Christian missionaries the opportunity to assess the best methods to employ when confronting pagan groups abroad. Perhaps the most significant aspect of Saint Patrick’s missionary efforts in Ireland was that he transcended the boundary between Church hierarchy and prominent Church Fathers in terms of the viability of missionary pursuits. Saint Patrick proved that any Christian could live out the Scriptural commandment to spread the word of God while “exalting and confessing his wonders before all the nations that are under the heavens.” Patrick’s example would inspire later missionaries to undertake great missions to evangelize abroad in later years.
Because of the island’s pagan background, Patrick was emphatic in encouraging widows to remain chaste and young women to consecrate their virginity to Christ. He continually urged his people to greater holiness in Christ.
It is certain that Saint Patrick openly preached the gospel message while among the Picts and Irish peoples, but that method does not alone account for conversions to Christianity. In terms of numbers, Patrick himself suggested that he baptized and converted “many thousands,” to the faith. It is true that Patrick had some success converting the sons and daughters of Irish Kings to Christianity, but actual figures of the numbers of converts among the entirety of the Irish population remain unknown.
One way for Saint Patrick to ensure success for evangelizing opportunities while among the Irish was to live in solidarity with those whom he was trying to convert. Approaching the Irish as an equal while showing no pretense of superiority allowed the Irish to become more receptive of Christian teachings. In fact, Patrick himself avowed in his Confession that he “sold this nobility of his,” to enhance the commonality between himself and his Irish audience.
Although he may not have been as well versed in the teachings of the Church as other missionaries, Saint Patrick did understand the basic tenets of the Christian faith. Yet, Saint Patrick seemed to be haunted by his lack of education, and claimed that evangelizing among the Irish “revealed his lack of learning,” according to his own Confession. Limited education would prove to be an obstacle for Patrick, and considering that every word he spoke had to be translated into a foreign tongue, communicating with the pagans in Ireland became a daunting task.
A complete lack of adequate translators hindered Saint Patrick’s attempts to explain the Gospel message and herald his message of the dogma of Jesus Christ. In fact, later Christian missionaries aware of the challenges faced by Patrick would ensure that a sufficient knowledge of foreign languages was known before embarking on missions abroad. Jesuit missionaries in later years would pay particular attention to the details of languages while traveling in Asia and North America.
Saint Patrick was able to preach and lead significantly by example, so when Bishops in Europe accused Patrick of various unknown charges, his reputation inevitably suffered among the Picts and Irish people. He suffered much opposition from pagan druids, and was criticized in both England and Ireland for the way he conducted his mission.
In a relatively short time however, the island had experienced deeply the Christian spirit, and was prepared to send out missionaries whose efforts were greatly responsible for Christianizing Europe.
Patrick was a man of action, he had a rocklike belief in his vocation, in the cause he had espoused.
One of the few certainly authentic writings is his Confession, above all an act of homage to God for having called Patrick, unworthy sinner, to the apostolate.
St. Patrick is said to be buried at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, County Down, alongside St. Brigid and St. Columba, although this has never been proven. The Battle for the Body of St. Patrick demonstrates the importance of both him as a spiritual leader, and of his body as an object of veneration, in early Christian Ireland.
March 17, popularly known as St. Patrick's Day, is believed to be his death date, c.460AD, and is the date celebrated as his feast day. (I mentioned to those asking me that I believed St. Patrick was martyred and burned at the stake, which upon review, I can find no record of. So, I apologize for the error on my part. It appears he died of natural causes.)
An interesting note: On March 17, 1776, the day that British forces under General Sir William Howe evacuated Boston during the American Revolutionary War, the password of the day at General George Washington's Continental Army encampment was "Saint Patrick". The date is observed as Evacuation Day, an official holiday in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA.
For most of Christianity's first thousand years, canonizations were done on the diocesan or regional level. Relatively soon after the death of people considered to be very holy people, the local Church affirmed that they could be liturgically celebrated as saints. As a result, St. Patrick has never been formally canonized by a Pope; nevertheless, various Christian churches declare that he is a Saint in Heaven. He is still widely venerated in Ireland and elsewhere today.
Ironically, St. Patrick is not associated with the color green. He was actually generally pictured in blue raiment up until about the 20th century. In fact there is an actual colour, "St. Patrick's Blue" which is the background for the Irish Presidential Standard (i.e. the flag of the President of Ireland) and the Coat of arms of Ireland. It also appears in the part of the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom representing Northern Ireland. So how come all the green on St. Patrick's day? The change to Ireland's association with green rather than blue probably began around the 1750's. Green, the colour most widely associated with Ireland, with Irish people, and with St. Patrick's Day in modern times, most likely gained its prominence through the phrase "the wearing of the green" meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing. At many times in Irish history, to do so was seen as a sign of Irish nationalism or loyalty to the Roman Catholic faith. So how did St. Patrick become associated with it? Probably from what legend records of him. Pious legend credits Patrick with teaching the Irish converts about the concept of the Trinity by showing people the shamrock, a 3-leaved clover, using it to highlight the Christian belief of the Holy Trinity - 'three divine persons in the one God' - as opposed to the Arian belief that was popular in Patrick's time.
Legend also credits Patrick with banishing snakes from the island, though all evidence suggests that post-glacial Ireland never had snakes; one suggestion is that snakes referred to the serpent symbolism of the Druids of that time and place, as shown for instance on coins minted in Gaul, or that it could have referred to beliefs such as Pelagianism, symbolized as “serpents”.
So, there you have it, a short synopsis of St. Patrick, and how this holiday came to be. Although, I do wonder about something. Why is it that a holiday for a saint of notable influence, consists primarily of the consumption of copious amounts of green alcoholic beverages? Just an observation...
Not a lot of solid details are actually known about St. Patrick. Patrick may have been born in Dunbarton, Scotland, or Cumberland, England, but many scholars place his birthplace in northern Wales, c.390 AD. He called himself both a Roman and a Briton, which leads to some of the debate as to his birthplace. At 16, he and a large number of his father’s slaves and vassals were captured by Irish raiders and sold as slaves in Ireland. Forced to work as a shepherd, he suffered greatly from hunger and cold. After six years, Patrick escaped, probably to France, and later returned to Britain at the age of 22. His captivity had meant spiritual conversion. He may have studied at Lerins, off the French coast; he spent years at Auxerre, France, and was consecrated bishop at the age of 43. After entering the Church, he had a dream vision in which it seemed “all the children of Ireland from their mothers’ wombs were stretching out their hands” to him. He understood the vision to be a call to do mission work in pagan Ireland. His great desire was to proclaim the Good News to the Irish. Despite opposition from those who felt his education had been defective, he was sent to carry out the task. He went to the west and north, where the faith had never been preached, obtained the protection of local kings and made numerous converts; however, little is known about the places where he worked and no link can be made between Patrick and any particular church.
By the eighth century he had come to be revered as the patron saint of Ireland. The Irish monastery system evolved after the time of Patrick and the Irish church did not develop the diocesan model that Patrick and the other early missionaries had tried to establish.
Upon returning to Ireland Saint Patrick went under the Gaelic second name of Daorbae (meaning - He was enslaved) so, he was known as Patricius Daorbae, during his Irish ministry.
As one of the earliest Christian missionaries traveling abroad to spread the Christian faith, Saint Patrick is important because he serves as a testament to the overall missionary legacy of the Church. His example afforded later Christian missionaries the opportunity to assess the best methods to employ when confronting pagan groups abroad. Perhaps the most significant aspect of Saint Patrick’s missionary efforts in Ireland was that he transcended the boundary between Church hierarchy and prominent Church Fathers in terms of the viability of missionary pursuits. Saint Patrick proved that any Christian could live out the Scriptural commandment to spread the word of God while “exalting and confessing his wonders before all the nations that are under the heavens.” Patrick’s example would inspire later missionaries to undertake great missions to evangelize abroad in later years.
Because of the island’s pagan background, Patrick was emphatic in encouraging widows to remain chaste and young women to consecrate their virginity to Christ. He continually urged his people to greater holiness in Christ.
It is certain that Saint Patrick openly preached the gospel message while among the Picts and Irish peoples, but that method does not alone account for conversions to Christianity. In terms of numbers, Patrick himself suggested that he baptized and converted “many thousands,” to the faith. It is true that Patrick had some success converting the sons and daughters of Irish Kings to Christianity, but actual figures of the numbers of converts among the entirety of the Irish population remain unknown.
One way for Saint Patrick to ensure success for evangelizing opportunities while among the Irish was to live in solidarity with those whom he was trying to convert. Approaching the Irish as an equal while showing no pretense of superiority allowed the Irish to become more receptive of Christian teachings. In fact, Patrick himself avowed in his Confession that he “sold this nobility of his,” to enhance the commonality between himself and his Irish audience.
Although he may not have been as well versed in the teachings of the Church as other missionaries, Saint Patrick did understand the basic tenets of the Christian faith. Yet, Saint Patrick seemed to be haunted by his lack of education, and claimed that evangelizing among the Irish “revealed his lack of learning,” according to his own Confession. Limited education would prove to be an obstacle for Patrick, and considering that every word he spoke had to be translated into a foreign tongue, communicating with the pagans in Ireland became a daunting task.
A complete lack of adequate translators hindered Saint Patrick’s attempts to explain the Gospel message and herald his message of the dogma of Jesus Christ. In fact, later Christian missionaries aware of the challenges faced by Patrick would ensure that a sufficient knowledge of foreign languages was known before embarking on missions abroad. Jesuit missionaries in later years would pay particular attention to the details of languages while traveling in Asia and North America.
Saint Patrick was able to preach and lead significantly by example, so when Bishops in Europe accused Patrick of various unknown charges, his reputation inevitably suffered among the Picts and Irish people. He suffered much opposition from pagan druids, and was criticized in both England and Ireland for the way he conducted his mission.
In a relatively short time however, the island had experienced deeply the Christian spirit, and was prepared to send out missionaries whose efforts were greatly responsible for Christianizing Europe.
Patrick was a man of action, he had a rocklike belief in his vocation, in the cause he had espoused.
One of the few certainly authentic writings is his Confession, above all an act of homage to God for having called Patrick, unworthy sinner, to the apostolate.
St. Patrick is said to be buried at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, County Down, alongside St. Brigid and St. Columba, although this has never been proven. The Battle for the Body of St. Patrick demonstrates the importance of both him as a spiritual leader, and of his body as an object of veneration, in early Christian Ireland.
March 17, popularly known as St. Patrick's Day, is believed to be his death date, c.460AD, and is the date celebrated as his feast day. (I mentioned to those asking me that I believed St. Patrick was martyred and burned at the stake, which upon review, I can find no record of. So, I apologize for the error on my part. It appears he died of natural causes.)
An interesting note: On March 17, 1776, the day that British forces under General Sir William Howe evacuated Boston during the American Revolutionary War, the password of the day at General George Washington's Continental Army encampment was "Saint Patrick". The date is observed as Evacuation Day, an official holiday in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA.
For most of Christianity's first thousand years, canonizations were done on the diocesan or regional level. Relatively soon after the death of people considered to be very holy people, the local Church affirmed that they could be liturgically celebrated as saints. As a result, St. Patrick has never been formally canonized by a Pope; nevertheless, various Christian churches declare that he is a Saint in Heaven. He is still widely venerated in Ireland and elsewhere today.
Ironically, St. Patrick is not associated with the color green. He was actually generally pictured in blue raiment up until about the 20th century. In fact there is an actual colour, "St. Patrick's Blue" which is the background for the Irish Presidential Standard (i.e. the flag of the President of Ireland) and the Coat of arms of Ireland. It also appears in the part of the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom representing Northern Ireland. So how come all the green on St. Patrick's day? The change to Ireland's association with green rather than blue probably began around the 1750's. Green, the colour most widely associated with Ireland, with Irish people, and with St. Patrick's Day in modern times, most likely gained its prominence through the phrase "the wearing of the green" meaning to wear a shamrock on one's clothing. At many times in Irish history, to do so was seen as a sign of Irish nationalism or loyalty to the Roman Catholic faith. So how did St. Patrick become associated with it? Probably from what legend records of him. Pious legend credits Patrick with teaching the Irish converts about the concept of the Trinity by showing people the shamrock, a 3-leaved clover, using it to highlight the Christian belief of the Holy Trinity - 'three divine persons in the one God' - as opposed to the Arian belief that was popular in Patrick's time.
Legend also credits Patrick with banishing snakes from the island, though all evidence suggests that post-glacial Ireland never had snakes; one suggestion is that snakes referred to the serpent symbolism of the Druids of that time and place, as shown for instance on coins minted in Gaul, or that it could have referred to beliefs such as Pelagianism, symbolized as “serpents”.
So, there you have it, a short synopsis of St. Patrick, and how this holiday came to be. Although, I do wonder about something. Why is it that a holiday for a saint of notable influence, consists primarily of the consumption of copious amounts of green alcoholic beverages? Just an observation...
Monday, March 16, 2009
Just a Thought
So, it's been over a month again since my last post, and I wanted to write something quick. I do intend to continue on with teaching on why Jesus came to die, but, as those tend to be rather lengthy posts, which I think many people may not even be reading, I will not post one tonight, as it is very late, I am going to go to bed, and I'm wanting to end this ginormous run-on sentence.
Pant, Pant, Pant...needed to pause for a breath of air.
So, I was thinking the other day, about the things we speak. I don't really know why, I was just kind of pondering. I have long tried to be careful about the words coming out of my mouth, especially in public. I know you would be hard pressed to find someone who could testify to having ever heard me utter a foul word, even after a smash-your-thumb-with-a-hammer style incident. I say this not to toot my own horn, but just as a matter of fact, and as background to what I say next. I have tried to live by what the Bible says in Ephesians 4, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." It is sage advice and from the Bible, and so I've never really understood people you cuss, especially Christians. Again, I say this not to cause shame, but just as a statement that I don't get it. What is the purpose of foul language anyway? I had someone tell me once that "Well, sometimes a situation just needs a cuss word." Maybe for him it does, but I still don't get it. My wife will also lovingly point out though that I am not ever out of control, and tend to be a very logical person, rather than an emotionally passionate one, perhaps that has something to do with it.
Anyway, what I was pondering about though is all the other things I do say. While I do not "cuss" I do say things like "Holy Crap", "What a Moron", (and my fav from Napoleon Dynamite) "Idiot". So, are these just as bad? "Let me 'splain...No, is too much. Let me sum up." See, in addition to the afore mentioned passage in Ephesians, the bible also has several other thing to say about our words. Some that came to mind as I was pondering this I will mention.
First, and this one is probably a very important one, since it is mentioned not once, but twice in the Gospels. First in Matt 12:34b, and then again in Luke 6:45b. "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. " that's the NIV the KJV actually says "the abundance of the heart". Same idea different words. The point is, do I really like the idea of the abundance and overflow of my heart to be "Holy Crap"? Or perhaps that is what is there...wow that could be a sermon in and of itself..."The Holy Crap of Our Hearts"...I'll have to think more on that one. But away from the irrelevant tangent...Am I speaking the abundance of my heart when I say things like that? Perhaps I am and if that is the case, then perhaps I need to reevaluate the contents therein of my heart. For you see the Bible also says this regarding our words in Matt 12:36-37, "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." Wow, do I really want to have to answer for EVERY careless word I've spoken, that sounds like a kickin' party, count me...as far from that as possible! But the Bible says that we will give an account for them, but it also says that by our words we will be acquitted and condemned. Now keep in mind this is at the final judgement, so, I do not fear this knowing that by my words, confessing Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Saviour of my life, the sacrifice for my sins, raised from the dead, I do not fear condemnation, but it still I think will not be a pleasant experience. Do you recall ever having to answer for something you did that you knew was wrong, recall what it felt like inside? The hot flush, the fear of "what is my punishment?", or "I'm so busted.", the guilt, perhaps the shame. I'm thinking it will be something like that. Maybe I'm just an optimist though, it could be much worse.
The point to all this is, we speak so many things without even thinking about what we are saying. The Bible obviously says that our words will be called into account against us one day, and we will answer for them. So, that being the case, what am I speaking? I want to speak the love, the grace, the mercy of God. I want to speak of what He did for me, the things He sacrificed for me, ever thought about what it would mean to do as the song says "I could sing of you love forever?" I'm not saying go stand in the streets singing 24/7/365, but think about it. If we as Christians were actually authentic in our walk, and actually let this life God gives us permeate us, and overflow us, and we "sing of His Love, Forever," what would this world become? Jesus said that we would be persecuted, and that people would hate us because of Him. No problem, we are already seeing that come to pass, but the church was never meant to be a place we come to insulate ourselves from the world, and I fear that it is becoming more so everyday. The church was designed to be a place that the sick come, the broken, the hurting, the dregs and wash of society. Notice where Jesus spent most of his time? Not in the temple, but rather in the marketplace among the (O scandalous) sinners. The sick need a doctor, not the well. It grieves my heart to see people come out with the "God hates Gays" "Hookers go to Hell" etc. signs and then they say, "We are from First Holiness Tabernacle of the Grace of the Great God and Blessed Sacrament Church. And God hates these people" (One caveat here...if you really are a member of First Holiness Tabernacle of the Grace of the Great God and Blessed Sacrament Church, then please forgive me, it was a name pulled out of thin air) God doesn't hate those people, He loves them; He loves them so much the He died for them; so much that "He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER, believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life". Yes, God despises sin, and yes He says that homosexuality is a sin, and prostitution is a sin, but he also says lust is a sin, and greed, and lying. What about coveting? You see to God, sin is simply sin, it separates us from Him. He cannot have anything to do with it. Which is why Christ "became sin for us" so that the curse of it would be done away with, and we can have the relationship with God that He intended for us to have. Sin only has levels in our mind. "I'm not as bad as that "idiot" who thinks he was born gay." No, I only covet my neighbor's things. "I'm not as bad as that "moron" robbed that bank" No, I only spewed expletives at the waiter because he dropped a cup of water on the table and some got on me. See my point? It reminds me of a story I once read. Check it out in Luke 18: "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." " See, so often we think we're good, when really it is the latter attitude we should take. John Bradford was a prebendary (administrator of a cathedral) of St. Paul's in the 1550's. He was an english reformer, and later became a martyr. He was burned at the stake in 1555. He summed all this up best with a statement he made as he watched a group of criminals being led away to execution. "There, but by the Grace of God, go I." Sin is sin, only people create degrees of sin, in God's eyes, I am as much a sinner as the prostitute, the homosexual, the thief, the rapist, this list could go on. So, I want to watch what I am speaking, and see that my words are speaking out the abundance of my heart. More correctly, I want to see that the abundance of my heart is in line with God's word and His desires and love, then if it is I don't have to worry about what I speak, for if I fill my heart up with God's Words, then that will come out of my mouth.
Let me know what you think, please feel free to comment of pass along to anyone you want. Peace to you, and God's favor too:
In Christ Alone,
th
Pant, Pant, Pant...needed to pause for a breath of air.
So, I was thinking the other day, about the things we speak. I don't really know why, I was just kind of pondering. I have long tried to be careful about the words coming out of my mouth, especially in public. I know you would be hard pressed to find someone who could testify to having ever heard me utter a foul word, even after a smash-your-thumb-with-a-hammer style incident. I say this not to toot my own horn, but just as a matter of fact, and as background to what I say next. I have tried to live by what the Bible says in Ephesians 4, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." It is sage advice and from the Bible, and so I've never really understood people you cuss, especially Christians. Again, I say this not to cause shame, but just as a statement that I don't get it. What is the purpose of foul language anyway? I had someone tell me once that "Well, sometimes a situation just needs a cuss word." Maybe for him it does, but I still don't get it. My wife will also lovingly point out though that I am not ever out of control, and tend to be a very logical person, rather than an emotionally passionate one, perhaps that has something to do with it.
Anyway, what I was pondering about though is all the other things I do say. While I do not "cuss" I do say things like "Holy Crap", "What a Moron", (and my fav from Napoleon Dynamite) "Idiot". So, are these just as bad? "Let me 'splain...No, is too much. Let me sum up." See, in addition to the afore mentioned passage in Ephesians, the bible also has several other thing to say about our words. Some that came to mind as I was pondering this I will mention.
First, and this one is probably a very important one, since it is mentioned not once, but twice in the Gospels. First in Matt 12:34b, and then again in Luke 6:45b. "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. " that's the NIV the KJV actually says "the abundance of the heart". Same idea different words. The point is, do I really like the idea of the abundance and overflow of my heart to be "Holy Crap"? Or perhaps that is what is there...wow that could be a sermon in and of itself..."The Holy Crap of Our Hearts"...I'll have to think more on that one. But away from the irrelevant tangent...Am I speaking the abundance of my heart when I say things like that? Perhaps I am and if that is the case, then perhaps I need to reevaluate the contents therein of my heart. For you see the Bible also says this regarding our words in Matt 12:36-37, "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." Wow, do I really want to have to answer for EVERY careless word I've spoken, that sounds like a kickin' party, count me...as far from that as possible! But the Bible says that we will give an account for them, but it also says that by our words we will be acquitted and condemned. Now keep in mind this is at the final judgement, so, I do not fear this knowing that by my words, confessing Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Saviour of my life, the sacrifice for my sins, raised from the dead, I do not fear condemnation, but it still I think will not be a pleasant experience. Do you recall ever having to answer for something you did that you knew was wrong, recall what it felt like inside? The hot flush, the fear of "what is my punishment?", or "I'm so busted.", the guilt, perhaps the shame. I'm thinking it will be something like that. Maybe I'm just an optimist though, it could be much worse.
The point to all this is, we speak so many things without even thinking about what we are saying. The Bible obviously says that our words will be called into account against us one day, and we will answer for them. So, that being the case, what am I speaking? I want to speak the love, the grace, the mercy of God. I want to speak of what He did for me, the things He sacrificed for me, ever thought about what it would mean to do as the song says "I could sing of you love forever?" I'm not saying go stand in the streets singing 24/7/365, but think about it. If we as Christians were actually authentic in our walk, and actually let this life God gives us permeate us, and overflow us, and we "sing of His Love, Forever," what would this world become? Jesus said that we would be persecuted, and that people would hate us because of Him. No problem, we are already seeing that come to pass, but the church was never meant to be a place we come to insulate ourselves from the world, and I fear that it is becoming more so everyday. The church was designed to be a place that the sick come, the broken, the hurting, the dregs and wash of society. Notice where Jesus spent most of his time? Not in the temple, but rather in the marketplace among the (O scandalous) sinners. The sick need a doctor, not the well. It grieves my heart to see people come out with the "God hates Gays" "Hookers go to Hell" etc. signs and then they say, "We are from First Holiness Tabernacle of the Grace of the Great God and Blessed Sacrament Church. And God hates these people" (One caveat here...if you really are a member of First Holiness Tabernacle of the Grace of the Great God and Blessed Sacrament Church, then please forgive me, it was a name pulled out of thin air) God doesn't hate those people, He loves them; He loves them so much the He died for them; so much that "He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER, believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life". Yes, God despises sin, and yes He says that homosexuality is a sin, and prostitution is a sin, but he also says lust is a sin, and greed, and lying. What about coveting? You see to God, sin is simply sin, it separates us from Him. He cannot have anything to do with it. Which is why Christ "became sin for us" so that the curse of it would be done away with, and we can have the relationship with God that He intended for us to have. Sin only has levels in our mind. "I'm not as bad as that "idiot" who thinks he was born gay." No, I only covet my neighbor's things. "I'm not as bad as that "moron" robbed that bank" No, I only spewed expletives at the waiter because he dropped a cup of water on the table and some got on me. See my point? It reminds me of a story I once read. Check it out in Luke 18: "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.' "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." " See, so often we think we're good, when really it is the latter attitude we should take. John Bradford was a prebendary (administrator of a cathedral) of St. Paul's in the 1550's. He was an english reformer, and later became a martyr. He was burned at the stake in 1555. He summed all this up best with a statement he made as he watched a group of criminals being led away to execution. "There, but by the Grace of God, go I." Sin is sin, only people create degrees of sin, in God's eyes, I am as much a sinner as the prostitute, the homosexual, the thief, the rapist, this list could go on. So, I want to watch what I am speaking, and see that my words are speaking out the abundance of my heart. More correctly, I want to see that the abundance of my heart is in line with God's word and His desires and love, then if it is I don't have to worry about what I speak, for if I fill my heart up with God's Words, then that will come out of my mouth.
Let me know what you think, please feel free to comment of pass along to anyone you want. Peace to you, and God's favor too:
In Christ Alone,
th
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Jesus Died to Take God's Wrath for us
Reason number 1: Jesus died to take the wrath of God
God is both just and loving. He is holy. We take these things for granted as believers. But since God is Holy, He can have nothing to do with sin. Romans tells us that, "the wages of sin is death." We also know that we are all guilty, see Romans 3:23. We all have sinned, and sin is not a small thing, because it is against God Himself, and God is not a small God. You see, the seriousness of the insult rises with the status of the one insulted. Which crime are the police going to work harder on: Joe Smith's house was robbed, or the White House was robbed? A bigger penalty for insulting your neighbor or for insulting the Queen of England? See what I mean? Failure to follow God is not a trivial thing - it is treason to the Creator of ALL THINGS. Ask God if He's got a MySpace Page; He'll say, "The whole universe, is MY Space." To not uphold His penalty for sin (death(Rom. 6:23; Eze. 18:4)) would be unjust, and since God is infinitely just, He cannot do this. He requires His Holy wrath to be poured out against it. A Holy curse hangs over sin. But God is also Love...Infinite, unfathomable, unplumbable, indescribable...Love. Not this empty emotion we humans describe as love, but the actual living embodyment of LOVE. He was not content to let His wrath be the end of humanity, He is not content to let the curse hang over mankind. He does not stop at showing His wrath, no matter how justifed and Holy it is. Therefore, He sends His own Son to take the wrath being poured out, and to bear the curse. Christ literally "became a curse for us." (Gal. 3:13) and in so doing, removed us from the curse when we place our faith in Him. C.S. Lewis wrote about this in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Edmund was a traitor, and the old Magic in Narnia said that blood was required to be paid for a traitor's crimes. If it was not satisfied, the world itself would split apart and be destroyed by fire. (By the way, if you've never read The Chronicles of Narnia I highly recommend it.) Now, of course, this is a grand literary exposition for what God does with us, but the idea is the same. To not punish sin would be for God to deny His very character, who He is. Death is required. Blood is required. The curse must be met and fulfilled. The wrath must be poured out. But Christ came and took it in our place. The "propitiation" for our sins (Rom. 3:25). The removal of God's wrath by provision of a substitue. God provided the substitute in His own Son. You see, as the propitiation - the substituite - Christ does not simply cancel God's wrath and judgement; no you see, the price must be paid. Christ instead, takes the full, world shattering force of God's wrath upon Himself. Remember Christ's cry upon the cross (Echoed from Psalms): "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?!" "My God, My God, Why have You forsaken me?!" Imagine, total separation from God Himself, when you have lived in perfect communion with Him your whole life. God's wrath was poured out, His Holy anger fulfilled, the curse met, Jesus took the wrath upon Himself, and diverted it from us to Himself. God's wrath was spent, not withdrawn. Let us never trivialize the justice, the holiness, or the love of God. "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:9-10.
th
God is both just and loving. He is holy. We take these things for granted as believers. But since God is Holy, He can have nothing to do with sin. Romans tells us that, "the wages of sin is death." We also know that we are all guilty, see Romans 3:23. We all have sinned, and sin is not a small thing, because it is against God Himself, and God is not a small God. You see, the seriousness of the insult rises with the status of the one insulted. Which crime are the police going to work harder on: Joe Smith's house was robbed, or the White House was robbed? A bigger penalty for insulting your neighbor or for insulting the Queen of England? See what I mean? Failure to follow God is not a trivial thing - it is treason to the Creator of ALL THINGS. Ask God if He's got a MySpace Page; He'll say, "The whole universe, is MY Space." To not uphold His penalty for sin (death(Rom. 6:23; Eze. 18:4)) would be unjust, and since God is infinitely just, He cannot do this. He requires His Holy wrath to be poured out against it. A Holy curse hangs over sin. But God is also Love...Infinite, unfathomable, unplumbable, indescribable...Love. Not this empty emotion we humans describe as love, but the actual living embodyment of LOVE. He was not content to let His wrath be the end of humanity, He is not content to let the curse hang over mankind. He does not stop at showing His wrath, no matter how justifed and Holy it is. Therefore, He sends His own Son to take the wrath being poured out, and to bear the curse. Christ literally "became a curse for us." (Gal. 3:13) and in so doing, removed us from the curse when we place our faith in Him. C.S. Lewis wrote about this in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Edmund was a traitor, and the old Magic in Narnia said that blood was required to be paid for a traitor's crimes. If it was not satisfied, the world itself would split apart and be destroyed by fire. (By the way, if you've never read The Chronicles of Narnia I highly recommend it.) Now, of course, this is a grand literary exposition for what God does with us, but the idea is the same. To not punish sin would be for God to deny His very character, who He is. Death is required. Blood is required. The curse must be met and fulfilled. The wrath must be poured out. But Christ came and took it in our place. The "propitiation" for our sins (Rom. 3:25). The removal of God's wrath by provision of a substitue. God provided the substitute in His own Son. You see, as the propitiation - the substituite - Christ does not simply cancel God's wrath and judgement; no you see, the price must be paid. Christ instead, takes the full, world shattering force of God's wrath upon Himself. Remember Christ's cry upon the cross (Echoed from Psalms): "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?!" "My God, My God, Why have You forsaken me?!" Imagine, total separation from God Himself, when you have lived in perfect communion with Him your whole life. God's wrath was poured out, His Holy anger fulfilled, the curse met, Jesus took the wrath upon Himself, and diverted it from us to Himself. God's wrath was spent, not withdrawn. Let us never trivialize the justice, the holiness, or the love of God. "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:9-10.
th
Continuing on
So, last post I mentioned in closing why did Jesus come to die for us. Of course the easy pat answer in this is "To save us from our sins." Which is of course correct. however, there is so much more in His coming than simply salvation. Why did Jesus die? Perhaps let's start this discussion farther back even. "Who killed Jesus?" The Sunday school answer you would normally get to that one is, "Me, I did." or "Man's sins" or "All Humanity", and while in theory those are correct, in reality the right answer is that God Himself was the principle player in Jesus's death. Now I can hear it, "wait a minute...God, killed Jesus?" Well...Yes, God killed Jesus. you see Jesus came with the purpose to die. Isaiah says that "It was the will of God to crush Him..." in speaking of Jesus. Romans says "God presented Him as a sacrifice..." So you see, the Bible even says God was the key player here. Remember Joseph speaking to his brothers. "You intended it for evil, but God meant it for good..." So, if we take that God is the author of good and not of evil, as the Bible says He is...What was the "good" in the death of His son? What is not the cause of Jesus' death, but the core purpose, the meaning behind it? Human's had all kinds of reasons for wanting Jesus dead, but only the Holy God can design His death to be for the good. I read in a writing from John Piper that, "The controversy about which humans killed Jesus is marginal. He chose to die. His heavenly Father ordained it. He embraced it." So, what did God achieve for us sinners in the death of His Son? I will look at some of the purposes in upcoming blogs, let me know what you think, do you agree with me, or not, why, etc., etc., etc. Anyway I think it will be interesting if nothing else. What was the purpose? Not the cause of His death, but the purposes behind it.
I will be borrowing some from the book "Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die". It is a good read, but anyway, I'm getting tired now, and need to go to bed. I pray God bless you all and care for you too. Peace of Christ to you, and Peace out yo'!
th
I will be borrowing some from the book "Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die". It is a good read, but anyway, I'm getting tired now, and need to go to bed. I pray God bless you all and care for you too. Peace of Christ to you, and Peace out yo'!
th
Sunday, February 1, 2009
A Most Amazing Creature
The Skunk is a most amazing little creature. Did you know that they are one of the most adaptable animals on the planet? They will eat almost anything, are incredibly intelligent and resourceful, and while nearly blind, have extremely developed senses of smell and hearing. Did you know that rattlesnakes, upon detecting a skunk nearby will go silent? In a head-to-head, the skunk will probably win. They are one of the only animals that will eat a stink beetle, they will roll it in the dirt until it is out of its own stink juice, then eat it. They will go into the stinkiest of places - a bat cave - and eat small ones which fall from the roof. They will stand up to most predators including dogs, cougars, coyotes, and the leading killer of skunks, cars. In fact the Great Horned Owl is actually one of the best predators of the skunk, because it has a limited sense of smell. They will not just up and spray someone, they usually spray only when they are out of options. They only have about 4 tablespoons of the stink at best. They can fire the spray out in a directed stream or a fine atomized mist. Tomato juice is not the fix-all for the spray either it is only a temporary fix. A better solution is: 3% HO (Hydrogen Peroxide) - 1/4c baking soda - 3 tablespoons detergent mixed fresh only. Rinse in your yard. Skunks and cats usually will get along fairly well. They do not all carry rabies, in fact the last reported case of someone getting rabies from a skunk was in 1981, despite them being the #2 animal on the list for carriers (They tend to wander off and die alone - usually from ticks - if they get it). They are very independent, and much like a cat will not ususally do what you say if you were to get one as a pet. I've always thought that it might be interesting to have a pet skunk, but my menagerie will have to wait a while to expand in that direction.
The point of all this is I've been thinking that we are similar to the skunk. Intelligent, resourceful, curious, headstrong, and all the while carrying a big stink. We are as they are -nearly blind - we see only darkly says the Bible. You see, we live and learn and grow, and think and discover, and we see only darkly, we stink, and the thing of it is, we are reveling in our stink, like the skunk. The skunk knows that it has a stink, and it is not afraid of its stink. It will use it. We are doing the same thing. How often do we find ourselves reveling in our sin, flamboyantly showcasing it for all to see? Sometimes we do this without knowing it, but more and more often we find people doing this intentionally. You see, God made us, like the skunk, a most amazing creature. We are fearfully and wonderfully made says the Word. Known before we were made, knitted together the Bible says, have you ever kitted? It's not easy, and it takes a direct involvement by the one doing the knitting. God made us and yet we take this priceless work of art He made, and go roll it in the mud, the raw sweage of the world, and make it stink. But the marvelous thing of it isHe has made a way to get rid of the stink. You see, people get convicted of their sin, and try to fix it. Regardless of what people may say, sin IS only pleasing for a season. Eventually, you want more, because you were MADE for more. We try to fix our stink by going to church more, or praying more, or doing more for other people, etc. We hear of good works, that, "I hope they count in the end." Or of people giving up everything they have to join a compound and group that has "the" answer. The trouble with this is that just like Tomato Juice and skunk spray, it's only a temporary fix. Only God has the ultimate solution to our stink. He's got a better formula, that doesn't just cover up the stink, it actually removes it. His son, Jesus, died for us. His sacrifce and His alone can make us clean. So, why did Jesus come? Well, stay tuned, I will post several reasons for His sacrifce in the days ahead. Tune in next time, same bat-time, same bat-channel. 'Till next time, In Christ Alone,
th
The point of all this is I've been thinking that we are similar to the skunk. Intelligent, resourceful, curious, headstrong, and all the while carrying a big stink. We are as they are -nearly blind - we see only darkly says the Bible. You see, we live and learn and grow, and think and discover, and we see only darkly, we stink, and the thing of it is, we are reveling in our stink, like the skunk. The skunk knows that it has a stink, and it is not afraid of its stink. It will use it. We are doing the same thing. How often do we find ourselves reveling in our sin, flamboyantly showcasing it for all to see? Sometimes we do this without knowing it, but more and more often we find people doing this intentionally. You see, God made us, like the skunk, a most amazing creature. We are fearfully and wonderfully made says the Word. Known before we were made, knitted together the Bible says, have you ever kitted? It's not easy, and it takes a direct involvement by the one doing the knitting. God made us and yet we take this priceless work of art He made, and go roll it in the mud, the raw sweage of the world, and make it stink. But the marvelous thing of it isHe has made a way to get rid of the stink. You see, people get convicted of their sin, and try to fix it. Regardless of what people may say, sin IS only pleasing for a season. Eventually, you want more, because you were MADE for more. We try to fix our stink by going to church more, or praying more, or doing more for other people, etc. We hear of good works, that, "I hope they count in the end." Or of people giving up everything they have to join a compound and group that has "the" answer. The trouble with this is that just like Tomato Juice and skunk spray, it's only a temporary fix. Only God has the ultimate solution to our stink. He's got a better formula, that doesn't just cover up the stink, it actually removes it. His son, Jesus, died for us. His sacrifce and His alone can make us clean. So, why did Jesus come? Well, stay tuned, I will post several reasons for His sacrifce in the days ahead. Tune in next time, same bat-time, same bat-channel. 'Till next time, In Christ Alone,
th
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