A manager of mine came up to me on Saturday and said, "please tell me that the world is not going to end at 6 pm today!" I told her that it was not. I told her a few things, and I will explain it as I go. But mainly I wanted to address this issues because now not only did this man make Christians look fake, but his comments made us look crazy, uneducated and filled with doom and gloom.
So now that May 21st 6pm has passed us by, I have thought a little bit about the subject. For those who live in a cave (and probably would not be reading my blog), a man by the name of Harold Camping claimed the Rapture was going to occur at 6 pm on Saturday May 21st. To that, I responded to my manager, "Which time zone? Greenwich meantime is past 6pm already, so if he wanted an internationally recognized time zone to work with it would be that one. Otherwise, it looks pretentious to go with Pacific time (his time) or Eastern Standard time (showing American arrogance)." So right away, there is a time issue.
Lets think about the history or Mr. Camping. According to his latest prediction, we are currently in a six month period of judgment and that Jesus has descended to preside over the judgment. He also predicted that the end was to come in 1994, and that did not happen either. When reading information on him, some of it is really strange to me... such as saying that churches are apostate and that they should be abandoned and that one should be devoted to Bible Study and listening to Family Radio (ironically, his company). Another significant detail is that his education is in Civil Engineering, not Bible. The validity of the Biblical Calendar that he created is believed by some to be false, but I do not know enough about it to make a judgment.
What I do know is that there are Bible verses that support the idea that Jesus did not even know when the end would come. In Matthew 24:36, Jesus claims that neither the Angels or HImself know when the hour or the day. Only the Father. In verse 24:42-44 Jesus states that it will happen at an hour when someone does not expect it. He likens it to a thief, in that if the owner of the house knew when the thief was coming, he would keep watch. So that explains that God wants faithful servants, not those that will only be diligent when the boss is watching (so to speak).
Luke 24:5-11 shows Jesus explaining to his disciples that the End of the Age will come at an unknown time, so continue to live without fear of the end. This story in Luke also illustrates that there will be those that come claiming that they know the information and they come in the Name of Jesus, but they are misled. It is obvious that demonic people can do good and mislead people, which is why it is important to test the spirit of someone.
So you might wonder how we test the spirit of someone. John explains in 1 John 4:1 that it is important to test the spirits of the people who come to them. In his time, some teachers would not acknowledge Jesus as coming from God, and it was obvious that their view was skewed since they deny Jesus' divinity. But even now, a Christian can act under oppression of a demon. I have seen it many times. Whether it is pride, jealousy, wrath, or greed, I have seen teachers teach unsound doctrine or speak unsound words. The question you have to ask yourself is, "is what they are saying matching up with the Bible, and is it matching up with Christ's mission?" If you have doubts, than take the time to understand what is happening and if what they are saying is harmful to you and to others. As always, pray about it and ask for wisdom in what is being spoken.
With me, I never like accusing anyone of being misled or lying. But I tend to get the feeling that what we were told about May 21st was a misguided message. It seems that his track record and his research is not substantial enough to warrant serious consideration. Needless to say, scripture mentions that we will not know the time, it defeats the purpose of living a life for Christ and living a life of love. So until further notice, continue to live life as if there is no tomorrow.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Those in our care...
This week, I have had two separate thoughts about Christian leadership… one is how we treat those that we have an advantage over and how well we feed those in our care. I will tell both in time, and talk about something that God has been working in me.
As many of you know, I am a huge fan of the book of Matthew. I probably reference it more than any of the three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) because I appreciate Matthew’s knowledge of Scripture and his focus on the teachings of Jesus. There is a lot of practical knowledge that can be gleaned from his works. The reading today illustrates Jesus claiming that a child is the greatest of those in heaven, and he talks about children in Matthew 18:1-6.
So lets look at what being like a child means. Jesus describes the child as humble in verse four. That is the one adjective that Jesus uses. When we expand on what it means to be a child, they are almost helpless without their parent. They need someone to protect them and to take care of them. They have no right to be arrogant, prideful, or demanding. They are dependent upon their caretakers. They hold no status, no qualifications, or title. This is no different than many Christians in the church.
The obvious sermon that stems from this verse is saying that we must be humble before God and before others. This is very true! However, I am going to look beyond that and read in verse 5. Verse 5 claims that those that welcome a child welcome Jesus as well, and verse 6 speaks of punishing those that corrupt the children. So this brings us to the two points, how do we talk and how do we take care of those in our care?
Since I have been a Christian, I have noticed that many pastors and leaders tend to overestimate their value to society. They like to think that they are too busy to meet with someone, or only give their time to people that matter in their eyes. I have noticed that consistently, and it bothers me because they become the children that are not welcomed. Jesus ties himself to that child. So when we take the time to acknowledge others and give them value, we are giving value to Jesus as well. This hit me this week as I thought about how “children” could be applied to other Christians as well, or those given authority to us. I am not trying to create new doctrine, I am just submitting this for your consideration!
The second thought that I had was concerning feeding the children. I spoke with a friend yesterday, and she told me that she stopped going to church because she did not like the new teacher at her church. She said that she was not getting anything from the messages, and felt that the new teacher was crass and inappropriate. I told her to keep looking for a church, and that it is much like going to a restaurant. If the chef keeps giving you bad food or food that is not good for you, you find a different chef. He is responsible for feeding you, and that you must find the chef that feeds you properly. I know that someone needs to do their own studying as well, but a pastor is the spiritual chef in which an individual guides their diet.
If an individual leads a younger Christian/child into a life of sin, the punishment is severe. This is why we must always remember that teachers are judged more harshly (James 3:1), and that we must never take our task lightly. Whether we like it or not, people watch us as Christians and judge us or mimic us. My goal is to give people no reason to judge me and be someone worth following. Not for my own glory, but for Christ’s glory and to try and establish a culture of peace and love. That being said, I hope that those that spend time in my life understand that I want to give them the best possible, rather than my left overs.
I have come to realize that after four years of seminary, that I am exhausted. I probably do not live up to the words that I write, but it is my goal to do my best to live up to these words. As I look for a job and a church to work for, I do my best to remember that often times children can still teach me things. In their simplicity, humility, and love, they can speak volumes more than the books in my personal library. It keeps me humble. The life that I signed up for is not a glamorous one being in the ministry, but at the end of the day, I hope that those in my care will know that they mattered to me and that I took care of them the best that I could.
As many of you know, I am a huge fan of the book of Matthew. I probably reference it more than any of the three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) because I appreciate Matthew’s knowledge of Scripture and his focus on the teachings of Jesus. There is a lot of practical knowledge that can be gleaned from his works. The reading today illustrates Jesus claiming that a child is the greatest of those in heaven, and he talks about children in Matthew 18:1-6.
So lets look at what being like a child means. Jesus describes the child as humble in verse four. That is the one adjective that Jesus uses. When we expand on what it means to be a child, they are almost helpless without their parent. They need someone to protect them and to take care of them. They have no right to be arrogant, prideful, or demanding. They are dependent upon their caretakers. They hold no status, no qualifications, or title. This is no different than many Christians in the church.
The obvious sermon that stems from this verse is saying that we must be humble before God and before others. This is very true! However, I am going to look beyond that and read in verse 5. Verse 5 claims that those that welcome a child welcome Jesus as well, and verse 6 speaks of punishing those that corrupt the children. So this brings us to the two points, how do we talk and how do we take care of those in our care?
Since I have been a Christian, I have noticed that many pastors and leaders tend to overestimate their value to society. They like to think that they are too busy to meet with someone, or only give their time to people that matter in their eyes. I have noticed that consistently, and it bothers me because they become the children that are not welcomed. Jesus ties himself to that child. So when we take the time to acknowledge others and give them value, we are giving value to Jesus as well. This hit me this week as I thought about how “children” could be applied to other Christians as well, or those given authority to us. I am not trying to create new doctrine, I am just submitting this for your consideration!
The second thought that I had was concerning feeding the children. I spoke with a friend yesterday, and she told me that she stopped going to church because she did not like the new teacher at her church. She said that she was not getting anything from the messages, and felt that the new teacher was crass and inappropriate. I told her to keep looking for a church, and that it is much like going to a restaurant. If the chef keeps giving you bad food or food that is not good for you, you find a different chef. He is responsible for feeding you, and that you must find the chef that feeds you properly. I know that someone needs to do their own studying as well, but a pastor is the spiritual chef in which an individual guides their diet.
If an individual leads a younger Christian/child into a life of sin, the punishment is severe. This is why we must always remember that teachers are judged more harshly (James 3:1), and that we must never take our task lightly. Whether we like it or not, people watch us as Christians and judge us or mimic us. My goal is to give people no reason to judge me and be someone worth following. Not for my own glory, but for Christ’s glory and to try and establish a culture of peace and love. That being said, I hope that those that spend time in my life understand that I want to give them the best possible, rather than my left overs.
I have come to realize that after four years of seminary, that I am exhausted. I probably do not live up to the words that I write, but it is my goal to do my best to live up to these words. As I look for a job and a church to work for, I do my best to remember that often times children can still teach me things. In their simplicity, humility, and love, they can speak volumes more than the books in my personal library. It keeps me humble. The life that I signed up for is not a glamorous one being in the ministry, but at the end of the day, I hope that those in my care will know that they mattered to me and that I took care of them the best that I could.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Thank you and I love you.
Thank you and I love you. How often do you feel those two short phrases but forget to say them; or, do you wish that someone else said them to you? The truth is that we as people tend to feel thankful and loving, yet we often times forget to say that.
The Bible is full of references to giving thanks. David gives thanks 18 times in Psalms, the Gospels reference Jesus giving thanks multiple times, and Paul mentions it a bit in his letters. They thanked God when things went well and they gave thanks in the dark times. What stands out the most to me is how Paul continued to thanks God even when he under went persecution. I know in my life, when I am not doing too hot, I do not think to thank God. I am not bitter at him, but I forget to sit and appreciate the protection and the blessings that he has given me.
One thing that I always try to do is to say "thank you" and mean it. Often times that means that people do not hear me say that enough. I find that I think that they know that I appreciate it, but they sometimes do not realize that. So if you get annoyed with me honestly saying "thank you", then just know I do it because I want you to know that I do appreciate you and what you do. It is better to say it too much than to not say it at all!
When it comes to love, when is the last time that you heard someone tell you that they loved you in a way that was not routine or contrived? A lot of people will say that it is about as uncommon as a handwritten note. Love is one of those strange subjects because even though it is a decision, it is often times mistaken for a feeling. If we do not feel positively towards someone, we often times do not want to say "I love you" since we do not feel it. That, or we do not want to give someone the wrong impression by saying, "I love you." It is also a good way to freak people out, so it is not always the wisest choice of words! None the less, we must be careful about who we say that too, but family definitely need to hear it.
WHen I look at that, someone in my life once told me that I never say that I love them. I told that person that I did not want to cheapen the word, because it may lose meaning and that they know that I love them through my actions. That person responded to me, "It is nice to hear every now and then." That really stuck with me, and that is why I try to let people know.''
Recently I have thought a lot about this subject because I hear a lot of people saying that they do not feel appreciated or do not feel loved. You might be one of them, but I think it is important to understand that it is a team effort. I learned a long time ago that if I wanted someone to call me or email me, I had to call and email them first! It sounds weird, but you can not expect everyone to read your mind and do something for you. If you feel unappreciated or unloved, take the first step and let others know that you appreciate them and love them. Mind you, do not do it in a creepy way, but be thoughtful about it and remind them that they are important.
There is another reason that I talk about this, and that has to do with being counter-cultural. Jesus was counter-cultural, and we are very much the same way today. The life that we try to imitate is not the same life that our media and societal norms agree with. In a world that is so focused on individual achievement and selfish ambition, we must always remember to take care of those around us. If you are thankful and loving just as Christ was, you will be compelled to bless and empower others.
As you go through your week, find one person that you love and one person that you appreciate. If you have not told them recently, take the time to do that. Whether it is an email, a verbal thank you or a handwritten note, let them know what they are important to you and what qualities you appreciate about them. A simple "thank you, you are great" might be okay (though it is vague), but you will probably want to add details into it. Such as, "I always appreciate the way that you _______" That is more direct and they know that you actually took the time to think of something that they did. I hope that you take the time to do this, you will not regret it!
The Bible is full of references to giving thanks. David gives thanks 18 times in Psalms, the Gospels reference Jesus giving thanks multiple times, and Paul mentions it a bit in his letters. They thanked God when things went well and they gave thanks in the dark times. What stands out the most to me is how Paul continued to thanks God even when he under went persecution. I know in my life, when I am not doing too hot, I do not think to thank God. I am not bitter at him, but I forget to sit and appreciate the protection and the blessings that he has given me.
One thing that I always try to do is to say "thank you" and mean it. Often times that means that people do not hear me say that enough. I find that I think that they know that I appreciate it, but they sometimes do not realize that. So if you get annoyed with me honestly saying "thank you", then just know I do it because I want you to know that I do appreciate you and what you do. It is better to say it too much than to not say it at all!
When it comes to love, when is the last time that you heard someone tell you that they loved you in a way that was not routine or contrived? A lot of people will say that it is about as uncommon as a handwritten note. Love is one of those strange subjects because even though it is a decision, it is often times mistaken for a feeling. If we do not feel positively towards someone, we often times do not want to say "I love you" since we do not feel it. That, or we do not want to give someone the wrong impression by saying, "I love you." It is also a good way to freak people out, so it is not always the wisest choice of words! None the less, we must be careful about who we say that too, but family definitely need to hear it.
WHen I look at that, someone in my life once told me that I never say that I love them. I told that person that I did not want to cheapen the word, because it may lose meaning and that they know that I love them through my actions. That person responded to me, "It is nice to hear every now and then." That really stuck with me, and that is why I try to let people know.''
Recently I have thought a lot about this subject because I hear a lot of people saying that they do not feel appreciated or do not feel loved. You might be one of them, but I think it is important to understand that it is a team effort. I learned a long time ago that if I wanted someone to call me or email me, I had to call and email them first! It sounds weird, but you can not expect everyone to read your mind and do something for you. If you feel unappreciated or unloved, take the first step and let others know that you appreciate them and love them. Mind you, do not do it in a creepy way, but be thoughtful about it and remind them that they are important.
There is another reason that I talk about this, and that has to do with being counter-cultural. Jesus was counter-cultural, and we are very much the same way today. The life that we try to imitate is not the same life that our media and societal norms agree with. In a world that is so focused on individual achievement and selfish ambition, we must always remember to take care of those around us. If you are thankful and loving just as Christ was, you will be compelled to bless and empower others.
As you go through your week, find one person that you love and one person that you appreciate. If you have not told them recently, take the time to do that. Whether it is an email, a verbal thank you or a handwritten note, let them know what they are important to you and what qualities you appreciate about them. A simple "thank you, you are great" might be okay (though it is vague), but you will probably want to add details into it. Such as, "I always appreciate the way that you _______" That is more direct and they know that you actually took the time to think of something that they did. I hope that you take the time to do this, you will not regret it!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Ask and You Shall Receive?
I wanted to write about this two weeks ago, but for some reason I decided against it. Strangely enough, we got on this same subject in Sam's (a friend of mine) life group. To me this is an extremely controversial subject that definitely needs to be talked about, especially considering that there are so many prosperity gospel teachers out there that misinterpret this verse.
In 1 John 3:21 & 22, John is writing concerning how we ask for our heart's desires from God, and that we will receive what we ask for. This post is not to criticize any of those pastors that preach a prosperity gospel, instead, it is me trying to help people understand why they may not get EVERYTHING that they want.
I can remember being on a Cleveland Browns forum one day, and the discussion somehow turned into a religious one. One guy said, "There can not be a God. I prayed a few times for certain things to happen, but it never did. I had serious requests, and he did not answer them." Here in lies the problem, Christians in the west have become so accustomed to believing that God works for them, that they forget we work for God.
They also forget that in verse 22, John states "receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him." This is why we have the confidence, because our hearts do not condemn us since we want to do what pleases him. We want to seek his desires. Our hearts desires line up with his hearts desires.
I can remember as a little kid hearing about my Dad having all of these awesome cars before I was born. I can remember I really wanted a Corvette. It is not a sinful desire to want a nice car, but over time it became less important to the point where I really do not want one anymore. It would be great to have a really nice car, but it is not a huge desire of mine that I have to have. I say this because instead of saving for a car like that, I feel more inclined to have a car that it nice but more functional, and that I could invest that money in other needs and be able to give to others.
One thing that I started doing a few years back is to pray that I may see others the way that God sees them. This way I could pray more effectively for them. Another huge topic for me is that I pray for wisdom in everything. I want to try and think like God. Whether it is "do I really need to buy that soda when I could just pack a water bottle" or "should I spend time with this person today?", I learned that when I ask for God's wisdom on my everyday life decisions life tends to go smoother for me. Yes, there are bumps in the road (ref: my life a few weeks ago wrapping up the thesis), but when you seek God's perspective you decipher what is permanent and what is temporal, and you value the permanent.
Now you might ask, "I ask for Godly things, but they do not happen." Ultimately, we do not know why God does what he does. Yes, God can heal cancer, God can raise the dead, God can bring someone to a saving knowledge of himself, but it does not always happen. There are so many factors to why things happen, such as free will. When we seek God's heart, we may not understand why he does what he does, but we have peace in knowing that he wants what is best for us and best for others.
Imagine being a parent with your kid in the candy store, you would love to see your kid happy. But if Junior decides what makes him happy is buying a few meals worth of candy, you know the ramifications of such a decision. You reinforce bad dietary habits since the treat becomes the meal, promote tooth decay, teaches them that they can get whatever they want when they want, and that ultimately he is the center of attention.
God knows that often times our desires can be self destructive, so why would he give us "everything that we want"? This is how he is with us, and that is why John encourages his audience to be confident in asking from God when our will is aligned with his... because he has what is right in mind. So when you think about asking and receiving, remember that God knows what is best for us and for those around us, and that you are in good hands.
In 1 John 3:21 & 22, John is writing concerning how we ask for our heart's desires from God, and that we will receive what we ask for. This post is not to criticize any of those pastors that preach a prosperity gospel, instead, it is me trying to help people understand why they may not get EVERYTHING that they want.
I can remember being on a Cleveland Browns forum one day, and the discussion somehow turned into a religious one. One guy said, "There can not be a God. I prayed a few times for certain things to happen, but it never did. I had serious requests, and he did not answer them." Here in lies the problem, Christians in the west have become so accustomed to believing that God works for them, that they forget we work for God.
They also forget that in verse 22, John states "receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him." This is why we have the confidence, because our hearts do not condemn us since we want to do what pleases him. We want to seek his desires. Our hearts desires line up with his hearts desires.
I can remember as a little kid hearing about my Dad having all of these awesome cars before I was born. I can remember I really wanted a Corvette. It is not a sinful desire to want a nice car, but over time it became less important to the point where I really do not want one anymore. It would be great to have a really nice car, but it is not a huge desire of mine that I have to have. I say this because instead of saving for a car like that, I feel more inclined to have a car that it nice but more functional, and that I could invest that money in other needs and be able to give to others.
One thing that I started doing a few years back is to pray that I may see others the way that God sees them. This way I could pray more effectively for them. Another huge topic for me is that I pray for wisdom in everything. I want to try and think like God. Whether it is "do I really need to buy that soda when I could just pack a water bottle" or "should I spend time with this person today?", I learned that when I ask for God's wisdom on my everyday life decisions life tends to go smoother for me. Yes, there are bumps in the road (ref: my life a few weeks ago wrapping up the thesis), but when you seek God's perspective you decipher what is permanent and what is temporal, and you value the permanent.
Now you might ask, "I ask for Godly things, but they do not happen." Ultimately, we do not know why God does what he does. Yes, God can heal cancer, God can raise the dead, God can bring someone to a saving knowledge of himself, but it does not always happen. There are so many factors to why things happen, such as free will. When we seek God's heart, we may not understand why he does what he does, but we have peace in knowing that he wants what is best for us and best for others.
Imagine being a parent with your kid in the candy store, you would love to see your kid happy. But if Junior decides what makes him happy is buying a few meals worth of candy, you know the ramifications of such a decision. You reinforce bad dietary habits since the treat becomes the meal, promote tooth decay, teaches them that they can get whatever they want when they want, and that ultimately he is the center of attention.
God knows that often times our desires can be self destructive, so why would he give us "everything that we want"? This is how he is with us, and that is why John encourages his audience to be confident in asking from God when our will is aligned with his... because he has what is right in mind. So when you think about asking and receiving, remember that God knows what is best for us and for those around us, and that you are in good hands.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Respecting Gods Gift
There has been a reoccurring theme in the past few months of my life. I keep meeting people who ask me or talk to me about trying to figure out why God allowed certain events or relationships to happen, especially when things go really bad and people get damaged beyond repair.
Last week I talked about how Satan can play into controversies, but I never really explained why God allows things to happen. I think the bottom line answer is we will never know, but there are a few things that I have found in my life that have helped shape me and I am going to talk about that.
In my life, I have found that part of the reason that I want to become a pastor is because I have had horrible experiences in the past. Instead of choosing to wallow in self-pity, I decided to be the change and do my best to be the leader that Christians deserve. I learned that it is not acceptable to demand perfection out of those under me, I learned that sound doctrine and sound teaching is so crucial, it is not acceptable to judge people or stereotype people, and I learned that it is so important to understand people as individuals. If I was at healthy churches my entire life, I would have taken all that for granted. But instead, I learned first hand what is important. Also, if I was naturally gifted with speech and knowledge and did not struggle with the disorders that I did, I think that I would not respect the ability to get up and give sermons or teach people.
The second part of this concept is why God allows bad relationships to happen. This can be work, personal, leadership, or any other time in which people relate. I have heard people talk with me about this a lot recently. Unfortunately, the Bible tends to do a horrible job concerning relationships, so we kind of have to figure this stuff out for ourselves. People will ask, "why did God allow me to date/marry this person if he knew that we were not going to make it?" I came to realize that often times we get ourselves into relationships that are not healthy, or the person is not necessarily healthy. Sometimes we have to learn the hard way. Other times relationships just end, but we feel like we just wasted months of our lives figuring that one out.
What I have to say to that is, no, you did not waste your time. When you finally meet that person that you are supposed to marry, I think you will have a heck of a lot more respect for the awesome person that you end up with. I have been in some pretty bad situations in the past, but I can not tell you enough how appreciative I feel when I am with someone who is emotionally healthy. I do not take that for granted. Yes, relationships can be hard and there will be tension, but there is a difference between going through life with someone who truly loves you and keeps your heart in check verses someone who is self-centered in times of crisis. You learn a lot about people in times of crisis, and if they care about you they will make sure that your heart is safe.
So as I close, I want you to remember that even though you are going through trials, try to understand that what you are going through today maybe something to prepare you for tomorrow. Whether it is a bigger obstacle to overcome or if it is someone or something that will be greater than you imagined, we sometimes go through things in life so that we may have a better respect for God's gift.
Last week I talked about how Satan can play into controversies, but I never really explained why God allows things to happen. I think the bottom line answer is we will never know, but there are a few things that I have found in my life that have helped shape me and I am going to talk about that.
In my life, I have found that part of the reason that I want to become a pastor is because I have had horrible experiences in the past. Instead of choosing to wallow in self-pity, I decided to be the change and do my best to be the leader that Christians deserve. I learned that it is not acceptable to demand perfection out of those under me, I learned that sound doctrine and sound teaching is so crucial, it is not acceptable to judge people or stereotype people, and I learned that it is so important to understand people as individuals. If I was at healthy churches my entire life, I would have taken all that for granted. But instead, I learned first hand what is important. Also, if I was naturally gifted with speech and knowledge and did not struggle with the disorders that I did, I think that I would not respect the ability to get up and give sermons or teach people.
The second part of this concept is why God allows bad relationships to happen. This can be work, personal, leadership, or any other time in which people relate. I have heard people talk with me about this a lot recently. Unfortunately, the Bible tends to do a horrible job concerning relationships, so we kind of have to figure this stuff out for ourselves. People will ask, "why did God allow me to date/marry this person if he knew that we were not going to make it?" I came to realize that often times we get ourselves into relationships that are not healthy, or the person is not necessarily healthy. Sometimes we have to learn the hard way. Other times relationships just end, but we feel like we just wasted months of our lives figuring that one out.
What I have to say to that is, no, you did not waste your time. When you finally meet that person that you are supposed to marry, I think you will have a heck of a lot more respect for the awesome person that you end up with. I have been in some pretty bad situations in the past, but I can not tell you enough how appreciative I feel when I am with someone who is emotionally healthy. I do not take that for granted. Yes, relationships can be hard and there will be tension, but there is a difference between going through life with someone who truly loves you and keeps your heart in check verses someone who is self-centered in times of crisis. You learn a lot about people in times of crisis, and if they care about you they will make sure that your heart is safe.
So as I close, I want you to remember that even though you are going through trials, try to understand that what you are going through today maybe something to prepare you for tomorrow. Whether it is a bigger obstacle to overcome or if it is someone or something that will be greater than you imagined, we sometimes go through things in life so that we may have a better respect for God's gift.
Monday, April 25, 2011
What Causes Trials?
Before we get started... I AM DONE WITH DIVINITY SCHOOL!!!!!!! Okay, I had to get that out of my system. But it is actually a pretty good segue for what I am talking about today. In the midst of wrapping up my divinity school career and in light of the easter season, I have been thinking a lot about the trials that we go through... and no. I am not trying to liken myself to Jesus, no worries =)
This final semester in school has been horribly tough for me. Between getting sick, injured, my computer crashing, my car breaking, identity theft, and trying to do two jobs, ministry, and three classes, I about crashed a few times. Especially last week when my thesis was due. I could have done my job, ministry and school no problem, but everything else seemed to come out of no where and it happened in a freakishly weird fashion.
This makes me wonder: What is it that causes trials in our lives? Is it God testing us? Is it Satan testing us? Is it a natural course of events? Is it a result of our own sin? Is it all of the above? It is difficult to answer.
So when I look at the life of Jesus, he HAD to die for us. Yes, he willingly took it upon himself, but as he prayed in Matthew 26:39 in the garden of Gethsemane it was obvious that he did not like the idea. I also think of how his disciples (with exception to John) were executed for their faith. It was not like they were doing anything truly heinous, they were helping the hurting, healing the sick, casting out demons, etc. So why did they face trials if they were righteous? The truth is, that often times it is doing God's will that draws the wrath of Hell.
A professor shared with our class a few weeks ago that often times you can tell the magnitude of an event by the amount of spiritual warfare involved with the circumstance. I am paraphrasing what she said, but it gets the point across. In my life, I have had a significant amount of spiritual warfare lately. The reason why I received it is because I was doing what was right. I realized these past few years it has been the same way. When I became a chaplain candidate, it took 13 months when it should have been a two month process... and yes, I received a lot of negativity for my pursuit.
I also had to think back to Easter eight years ago. It was probably the darkest year of my life. I had a lot of things go wrong (enough to overwhelm a normal human) and I about gave up on my faith. The next year, everything crystalized for me and I found my calling. So what I realized was that Satan was trying to come against me and destroy me before I could reach my potential.
So this is what I want to leave you with this week, when you receive trials that seem out of the ordinary, know that someone is trying to stop you. Someone who fears what you may become. And never forget Psalm 91.
This final semester in school has been horribly tough for me. Between getting sick, injured, my computer crashing, my car breaking, identity theft, and trying to do two jobs, ministry, and three classes, I about crashed a few times. Especially last week when my thesis was due. I could have done my job, ministry and school no problem, but everything else seemed to come out of no where and it happened in a freakishly weird fashion.
This makes me wonder: What is it that causes trials in our lives? Is it God testing us? Is it Satan testing us? Is it a natural course of events? Is it a result of our own sin? Is it all of the above? It is difficult to answer.
So when I look at the life of Jesus, he HAD to die for us. Yes, he willingly took it upon himself, but as he prayed in Matthew 26:39 in the garden of Gethsemane it was obvious that he did not like the idea. I also think of how his disciples (with exception to John) were executed for their faith. It was not like they were doing anything truly heinous, they were helping the hurting, healing the sick, casting out demons, etc. So why did they face trials if they were righteous? The truth is, that often times it is doing God's will that draws the wrath of Hell.
A professor shared with our class a few weeks ago that often times you can tell the magnitude of an event by the amount of spiritual warfare involved with the circumstance. I am paraphrasing what she said, but it gets the point across. In my life, I have had a significant amount of spiritual warfare lately. The reason why I received it is because I was doing what was right. I realized these past few years it has been the same way. When I became a chaplain candidate, it took 13 months when it should have been a two month process... and yes, I received a lot of negativity for my pursuit.
I also had to think back to Easter eight years ago. It was probably the darkest year of my life. I had a lot of things go wrong (enough to overwhelm a normal human) and I about gave up on my faith. The next year, everything crystalized for me and I found my calling. So what I realized was that Satan was trying to come against me and destroy me before I could reach my potential.
So this is what I want to leave you with this week, when you receive trials that seem out of the ordinary, know that someone is trying to stop you. Someone who fears what you may become. And never forget Psalm 91.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
What Sports Taught Me About Religion
It is not often that I get ideas that combine two of my favorite things to talk about, but I think I hit the jackpot today! As March Madness winds down and football approaches draft time, I get excited because the sports world is abuzz with all sorts young guys who are finishing their college careers and have aspirations of going pro. This is one of the two most important times for General Managers (GM) in sports.
Being a long suffering Clevelander I am, I get especially excited as we mutter phrases such as “wait for next year” and “this coaching staff will be different.” More often than not, the regimes are very much the same.
When I look back at the past few years of the Cleveland Browns, I find that they always hire bad GMs. One major role of the GM is to find the right players to fit the system of the coach, who they trust will be successful in said system. The past few people with the Browns did not do that, which is why they are not very successful. One of them had a tendency and get talented players irregardless of the system that they are familiar with, which did not work since they were not good in the Cleveland system. The other one brought in an excessive number of guys that he was familiar with, even though they were mediocre. In the process, he retarded the growth or got rid of guys who could have helped the team, but he did not know them. So you now understand why the Browns are not so good.
I find that the church is similar. If we as leaders do not make a concerted effort to bring up people under us who could be successful in a system that they are good at, then we will be hurting the efforts of the church.
In my Spiritual Formation class, we have been learning about living in your strengths rather than your weakness. One illustration that I really liked from class last week was the idea of writing with your weaker hand. If I spent my life writing with my left hand all the time, yes, you would know what I am writing, but it is not as natural as my right hand. Living in your strength is much the same.
This is why I have always been committed to helping someone figure out who they are. Unfortunately, there are a lot of pastors out there who should not be pastors. Even in the church, there are people who want to be doing something but it is not their strength. When I become a pastor, my hope is that I will be able to see what individuals are capable of and be able to provide them with the leadership they need to become the best at what they are good at.
When I think of this, I think about how Jesus’ ministry worked. The twelve disciples that he picked were not the elite religious leaders of the day, but they had their purposes with in the group. They did not need to be elite for that time, because God was bringing “fools” to humble the “wise”. They also had Jesus to immitate, so that was extremely helpful. They also used his teachings and the Old Testament to keep them on track.
This is why I want to encourage leaders to be careful about who you bring in to ministry. The collateral damage can be severe, I know because I have been on the receiving end of misplaced leaders. Meanwhile, if you are reading this today and have no intention of being a leader in the church, do two things for me. Take the time to understand your unique abilities, and make sure that whoever is over you knows what they are doing so that you may grow properly.
Just like my team that starts out with great hope but always falls short, churches that are not have wise leadership will not get very far. Lets be concerted about helping those around us reach their full potential at what they are good at.
Being a long suffering Clevelander I am, I get especially excited as we mutter phrases such as “wait for next year” and “this coaching staff will be different.” More often than not, the regimes are very much the same.
When I look back at the past few years of the Cleveland Browns, I find that they always hire bad GMs. One major role of the GM is to find the right players to fit the system of the coach, who they trust will be successful in said system. The past few people with the Browns did not do that, which is why they are not very successful. One of them had a tendency and get talented players irregardless of the system that they are familiar with, which did not work since they were not good in the Cleveland system. The other one brought in an excessive number of guys that he was familiar with, even though they were mediocre. In the process, he retarded the growth or got rid of guys who could have helped the team, but he did not know them. So you now understand why the Browns are not so good.
I find that the church is similar. If we as leaders do not make a concerted effort to bring up people under us who could be successful in a system that they are good at, then we will be hurting the efforts of the church.
In my Spiritual Formation class, we have been learning about living in your strengths rather than your weakness. One illustration that I really liked from class last week was the idea of writing with your weaker hand. If I spent my life writing with my left hand all the time, yes, you would know what I am writing, but it is not as natural as my right hand. Living in your strength is much the same.
This is why I have always been committed to helping someone figure out who they are. Unfortunately, there are a lot of pastors out there who should not be pastors. Even in the church, there are people who want to be doing something but it is not their strength. When I become a pastor, my hope is that I will be able to see what individuals are capable of and be able to provide them with the leadership they need to become the best at what they are good at.
When I think of this, I think about how Jesus’ ministry worked. The twelve disciples that he picked were not the elite religious leaders of the day, but they had their purposes with in the group. They did not need to be elite for that time, because God was bringing “fools” to humble the “wise”. They also had Jesus to immitate, so that was extremely helpful. They also used his teachings and the Old Testament to keep them on track.
This is why I want to encourage leaders to be careful about who you bring in to ministry. The collateral damage can be severe, I know because I have been on the receiving end of misplaced leaders. Meanwhile, if you are reading this today and have no intention of being a leader in the church, do two things for me. Take the time to understand your unique abilities, and make sure that whoever is over you knows what they are doing so that you may grow properly.
Just like my team that starts out with great hope but always falls short, churches that are not have wise leadership will not get very far. Lets be concerted about helping those around us reach their full potential at what they are good at.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)