I wanted to apologize first and foremost for how long it's been since i've posted. I think it's safe to say I didn't know just how difficult a semester I signed up for at the beginning of the semester. It's been wild with school, work, a very special lady, and everything in between. Anyway, there is something I wanted to share with you guys that I found to be very sobering, but very neat all the same!
Judas Iscariot. We all know him to be the man who betrayed Jesus by turning him over to the pharisees to be killed. I spent some time thinking about him and the events in his life that made him so famous, or well, infamous, and I think there is a lot to learn about him! Long story short with Judas: Scripture says that Judas got paid to turn Jesus over to the pharisees.
Judas gets paid 30 pieces of silver in exchange for turning in Jesus (Matthew 26:15). Well, at some point after Jesus is turned over, Judas is faced with his sin. He begins to feel terrible about himself to the point of going back to the pharisees and giving them back the silver (Matthew 27:4). Well, the pharisees decided to buy Judas a field with the 30 pieces of silver that he had returned. Scripture goes on to say that Judas hung himself out of remorse and historians say that the branch eventually broke leading to him falling and his entrails falling out of his stomach. (Acts 1:17) Judas was buried in the field that was purchased. Here is a real interesting short piece written about Judas and Christ. (http://www.biblecenter.de/bibel/widerspruch/e-wds23.php)
I then realized how i'm not too different from Judas myself.
The final nail in the coffin of Judas was not his betrayal of Jesus. Peter also betrayed Jesus by denying him three times, which Jesus told him he would do. So what's the difference?
Peter wept and mourned, as did Judas. The difference begins in what was done after the time of mourning and weeping. Once Peter heard that Jesus had come back from the dead, he ran to see him and rejoiced! He turned out to be the proverbial face of the apostles and other followers of Jesus when people opposed them. Judas on the other hand, was not able to overcome his own guilt and depression. He never repented, or turned away from his sin, but instead he remained remorseful to the point of killing himself. Here we are able to see a clear difference between repentance and remorse. And how often I find myself in remorse instead of repentance!
I think that I too often act out of a misunderstanding of repentance and grace. Upon sinning, I immediately turn to remorse. Apology, self pity, deprecation, all of it. A sea of guilt which only lasts as long as i'm able to remember my sin because once I forget, i'm able to move on. It has nothing to do with Jesus, because scripture says he has forgotten my sin. Put me in his time machine, sent me back in time, and now views me before my sin. My guilt stems from myself alone. My inability to meet a standard that I have set for myself, totally apart from Christ. God never demanded perfection. If he expected perfection from me, us, he would have had no reason to send his son to be hung on a cross. And here is where the difference between repentance and remorse comes into play.
Repentance, that doesn't look like feeling crappy for myself. Repentance looks like doing something different when I find myself in the same fork in the road. Never will I not have a choice and be forced to sin. It's always a split in the road and I choose which way I will go. Will I sit around feeling sorry for myself? Or will I come before the Lord, confess my sin, and take the higher ground next time i'm to make that desicion?Will I be a Judas? Or will I be a Peter?
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The old man (J.C. Philpot)
This is part one of a two part post in which i'm going to spend some time reflecting and talking about the old man, via Ephesians 4:22. Here is the verse:
"22That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;" (Eph 4:22, KJV)
I love the old King James here because it calls it an old man. It paints for me a more tanglible picture of what we are talking about when we refer to our flesh, our sinful nature, our old man. When the apostle Paul, the author of this letter through the inspiration of God (2 timothy 3:16) writes this, there are two things I think are worth noting. Firstly, it's written as a command. It's not a suggestion, there is no conditional statement. He very plainly says "put off". Secondly, because it's a command, we can thereby infer that it's something that is possible. We very well can put off the old man, remove him from his seat of dominion within us. However, before we get much farther, lets take a look at why he's called an old man, and the old man himself.
1)Our flesh, the old man, literally is an old man. This old man has been around since the time of Adam and Eve. It's the same old man that sat in the Garden of Eden and whispered sweet honey in the form of questioning God's character.
"He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You[a] shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" 2And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" 4 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:1-5)
The serpent's, the old man's purpose from the beginning was to lie to us, to get us to question God's character and his goodness, and to decieve us. On a more personal note, consider how often our sin is a product of thinking that we might know better, that we are somehow missing out on something better by living a life obedient to Christ, that God, in it's very root, is holding out on us. It's the same game that the old man has been playing since the beginning of time. and it's once we bring God's character into question and entertain the idea that the old man might have a point, that we take a bite from the lie-laden fruit perched upon the tree. The game he plays is only becoming more complex and evolved as time progesses. As humanity advances, the strategy to his game adapts accordingly, yet at the core, it remains the same.
There is a neat little nugget of something in scripture i've stumbled across while studying this. It's not something I fully understand quite yet, but I do think it's worth taking the time to look into. The old man, is old in us because he was born first. J.C. Philpot, preacher out of London in the 1860's, likens it to the different times in scripture that a man has his name changed by the Lord, and from that, his entire life changes. Esau to Jacob. Ishmael to Issac, Abram to Abraham, Saul to Paul. There is a clear distinction of old man, then new man. Every time this happens in scripture, the new man undoubtedly takes the reins. It brings to mind a few verses that at first glance appear to be speaking into humility and pride, but might have a little more beneath the surface.
"30But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first." (Matthew 19:30 KJV)
"16So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen." (Matthew 20:16 KJV)
The elder, the old man, the first by birth, shall be last. He shall serve the younger. And the Last, the newborn, shall be first.
2) I think there is another point to make as to why the King James calls it the old man. This point too, is communicated by Philpot way better than I could.
"Is human nature ever so depraved as is manifested in a depraved old man? Is not a depraved old man one of the most loathsome objects of our disgust and one if the vilest of all vile beings? How deeply rooted must sin be in his heart who is ever feeding his imagination with base lusts and living as it were, upon the recollections of the past, painting to himself sins which he will never be likely of able to accomplish. How hardened, impenitent, obstinate, and unyielding, for the most part, is the old age."
Psychologists say that doing something seven times creates a habit. An old man will go his entire life going about things in a methodical manner, engraving day by day a deep trough of how things are done over a span of many years. Now take this man. What argument, what reasoning, what rhetoric could be used to divert an old man from his ways after years of constant succession? The old man within us can become this old man that has grown accustomed to a repetitive life of sin. Once the old man has grown comfortable and used to our pattern of sin, his stubborn persona will make it almost impossible to augment his way of life. Old men don't like change. They like to get what they want, when they want, how they want. If we take how we known an old man to be, and apply him to our sinful nature, then we can deduce that our flesh is wicked, grumpy, stubborn, hellbent, wretched, deceitful, selfish, and depraved. An old man is normally concerned with three things: Food, sleep, and sex. Sound familiar? Paul calls it corrupt for a reason! Our flesh is not to be toyed with, entertained, treated as a pet. I'll refer to Philpot again to paint a better picture of this old man.
"How deceitful is lust in every shape and form! It blinds the eyes, hardens the conscience, perverts the judgment, entangles the affections, buries and all but suffocates the life of God in the soul, until one scarcely knows where he is, or who he is, and all he knows is he is full of confusion, burdened with guilt, fear, and bondage."
Every sin, every fleshy desire that has ever reared it's ugly head is a product of the old man and his corruption. But there is something a very wise, very special woman pointed out to me. Whitney (http://thetidesedge.blogspot.com/) pointed out how an old man, although he may embody all the things listed above, is still an old man. That makes him weak, frail, and delicate. How much force does it take to overcome an old man in a struggle? Since he is as dangerous as he is, he isn't to be treated or handled lightly. Which leads to the next part of the verse.
23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Eph 4:23-24 KJV)
This is something we will explore in the next post. Until next time...
"22That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;" (Eph 4:22, KJV)
I love the old King James here because it calls it an old man. It paints for me a more tanglible picture of what we are talking about when we refer to our flesh, our sinful nature, our old man. When the apostle Paul, the author of this letter through the inspiration of God (2 timothy 3:16) writes this, there are two things I think are worth noting. Firstly, it's written as a command. It's not a suggestion, there is no conditional statement. He very plainly says "put off". Secondly, because it's a command, we can thereby infer that it's something that is possible. We very well can put off the old man, remove him from his seat of dominion within us. However, before we get much farther, lets take a look at why he's called an old man, and the old man himself.
1)Our flesh, the old man, literally is an old man. This old man has been around since the time of Adam and Eve. It's the same old man that sat in the Garden of Eden and whispered sweet honey in the form of questioning God's character.
"He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You[a] shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?" 2And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" 4 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:1-5)
The serpent's, the old man's purpose from the beginning was to lie to us, to get us to question God's character and his goodness, and to decieve us. On a more personal note, consider how often our sin is a product of thinking that we might know better, that we are somehow missing out on something better by living a life obedient to Christ, that God, in it's very root, is holding out on us. It's the same game that the old man has been playing since the beginning of time. and it's once we bring God's character into question and entertain the idea that the old man might have a point, that we take a bite from the lie-laden fruit perched upon the tree. The game he plays is only becoming more complex and evolved as time progesses. As humanity advances, the strategy to his game adapts accordingly, yet at the core, it remains the same.
There is a neat little nugget of something in scripture i've stumbled across while studying this. It's not something I fully understand quite yet, but I do think it's worth taking the time to look into. The old man, is old in us because he was born first. J.C. Philpot, preacher out of London in the 1860's, likens it to the different times in scripture that a man has his name changed by the Lord, and from that, his entire life changes. Esau to Jacob. Ishmael to Issac, Abram to Abraham, Saul to Paul. There is a clear distinction of old man, then new man. Every time this happens in scripture, the new man undoubtedly takes the reins. It brings to mind a few verses that at first glance appear to be speaking into humility and pride, but might have a little more beneath the surface.
"30But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first." (Matthew 19:30 KJV)
"16So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen." (Matthew 20:16 KJV)
The elder, the old man, the first by birth, shall be last. He shall serve the younger. And the Last, the newborn, shall be first.
2) I think there is another point to make as to why the King James calls it the old man. This point too, is communicated by Philpot way better than I could.
"Is human nature ever so depraved as is manifested in a depraved old man? Is not a depraved old man one of the most loathsome objects of our disgust and one if the vilest of all vile beings? How deeply rooted must sin be in his heart who is ever feeding his imagination with base lusts and living as it were, upon the recollections of the past, painting to himself sins which he will never be likely of able to accomplish. How hardened, impenitent, obstinate, and unyielding, for the most part, is the old age."
Psychologists say that doing something seven times creates a habit. An old man will go his entire life going about things in a methodical manner, engraving day by day a deep trough of how things are done over a span of many years. Now take this man. What argument, what reasoning, what rhetoric could be used to divert an old man from his ways after years of constant succession? The old man within us can become this old man that has grown accustomed to a repetitive life of sin. Once the old man has grown comfortable and used to our pattern of sin, his stubborn persona will make it almost impossible to augment his way of life. Old men don't like change. They like to get what they want, when they want, how they want. If we take how we known an old man to be, and apply him to our sinful nature, then we can deduce that our flesh is wicked, grumpy, stubborn, hellbent, wretched, deceitful, selfish, and depraved. An old man is normally concerned with three things: Food, sleep, and sex. Sound familiar? Paul calls it corrupt for a reason! Our flesh is not to be toyed with, entertained, treated as a pet. I'll refer to Philpot again to paint a better picture of this old man.
"How deceitful is lust in every shape and form! It blinds the eyes, hardens the conscience, perverts the judgment, entangles the affections, buries and all but suffocates the life of God in the soul, until one scarcely knows where he is, or who he is, and all he knows is he is full of confusion, burdened with guilt, fear, and bondage."
Every sin, every fleshy desire that has ever reared it's ugly head is a product of the old man and his corruption. But there is something a very wise, very special woman pointed out to me. Whitney (http://thetidesedge.blogspot.com/) pointed out how an old man, although he may embody all the things listed above, is still an old man. That makes him weak, frail, and delicate. How much force does it take to overcome an old man in a struggle? Since he is as dangerous as he is, he isn't to be treated or handled lightly. Which leads to the next part of the verse.
23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (Eph 4:23-24 KJV)
This is something we will explore in the next post. Until next time...
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Haiti, my musings, and the Bible's best kept secret...
So, Haiti. Where to begin? A little under two years ago I was invited to be a part of a team that would be going to Haiti for about two weeks. It was originally a trip set on providing medical assistance to those in need. As a pre-med student, I jumped at the opportunity! What pre-med student wouldn't want to go do medicine in a place that doesn't care if you have a degree or not? Nobody would care if I had graduated, or what I got on my last biochem exam. All the people would care about was the fact that I went, and that I was there to help. Well, shortly after I got all excited about this trip, about 3 million people were affected by a 7.0 earthquake that killed 316,000. Needless to say, the trip got postponed. Not because the need wasn't great, but because we couldn't fly in!
Well, in February of this year, I was approached by the same team. They were trying to go back in May which was very do-able for me. Everything neatly fell into place and I ended out boarding a plane to Port Au Prince on May 20th. A lot happened over those two and a half weeks. Flooded streets, dead people, frustrations, voodoo, scabies, it was all there. Because of this, it's been very difficult for me to pull out a few big points from the trip that I could offer to those who would ask how the trip went. Nonetheless, here is my humble attempt:
I had the privilege of spending two and a half weeks in a culture where nobody cared about the clothes you wore, how much you worked out, the kind of car you had, the kind of body you had, the money you had, or your socioeconomic status. Materialism, in the poorest country in the western hemisphere was unheard of. Here is a small excerpt from http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPOVERTY/EXTPA/0,,contentMDK:20207590~menuPK:443285~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:430367,00.html
"Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest countries in the developing world. Its per capital income--$ 250--is considerably less than one-tenth the Latin American average. About 80 percent of the rural Haitian population live in poverty. Moreover, far from improving, the poverty situation in Haiti has been deteriorating over the past decade, concomitant with a rate of decline in per capita GNP of 5.2 percent a year over the 1985-95 period."
Imagine the effect the earthquake had on those numbers. Golf is unheard of. Boats? Maybe if you mean a sheet of tin to stay floating as the streets flood in the harsh rain. The house I stayed in had a total of two mirrors. And they were small. What would the majority of America do without a mirror to assess personal aesthetics before they walked out the door in the morning? I had a conversation with a man I met in a tent village, and I think it perfectly describes what i'm trying to say.
Me: "So, what is the voodoo like in this village? Is it a big deal?"
Godson: "Voodoo? heh. We don't have time for voodoo here. We don't have time for a lot of things in this village. We are trying to survive."
The people of that country don't have time to care about their dress size, or if they look like celebrity x. This egocentric-less lifestyle has changed the entirety of the culture. Because people don't care about how they look, or how others look, and because the majority of the country is in the same situation they're in, the way they relate to each other is different from what we see here in the states or other countries that aren't overcome with poverty. There are no cliques, no social classes to strive for or to look down upon. What would the states look like without this? Without people comparing cars or purses? I think that we as a nation have been very fortunate in that we are by no means poverty stricken. We do have nice houses, cars, clothes, we have professional sports teams and we have multi-million dollar stadiums that house multi-million dollar athletes. I'm not suggesting we wake up and throw it all away (although it might not be a bad idea) but what i'm thinking is, how did we become this? Is this all we have to look forward to? Young women sticking fingers down their throats so they can maintain a body figure that, quite honestly, nobody is going to give a rats tail about in 100 years? Sex doesn't sell there, body image doesn't sell there. Yeah, the argument could be made that not many things do, but places have become what they have become without swimsuit models sudding up a car so a car can be sold. What if we as a people, stopped caring about how we looked, or what we had? Matthew 6:19 resounds in my head now more than ever.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." (NIV)
Not only does this lifestyle drastically change their social interactions, but, as expected, it changed their religion.
"It is a matter of well-documented historical fact that the nation of Haiti was dedicated to Satan 200 years ago. On August 14, 1791, a group of houngans (voodoo priests), led by a former slave houngan named Boukman, made a pact with the Devil at a place called Bois-Caiman. All present vowed to exterminate all of the white Frenchmen on the island. They sacrificed a black pig in a voodoo ritual at which hundreds of slaves drank the pig’s blood. In this ritual, Boukman asked Satan for his help in liberating Haiti from the French. In exchange, the voodoo priests offered to give the country to Satan for 200 years and swore to serve him. On January 1, 1804, the nation of Haiti was born and thus began a new demonic tyranny."
Great article on this whole thing:
http://www.americandaily.com/article/95
200 years after, the government officially established voodoo as the religion of the country. For the last year and a half, the country to Haiti has been the charity case of the world. As harsh as that may sound, it's absolutely true. Money, aid, resources, they've all been sent to the country. So, what gives? Scoffers say as you will, but I can't help but think the religious state of the country has a lot to do with it.
Whatever the case of the government, God has been working in that country. I had the privilege of attending a couple of small churches in Haiti. One was in the country village of Dinis, which was awesome. I'm sure a lot of you have heard, as had I before I went, but the people there had a very REAL relationship with God. Their worship was passionate, honest, intimate. The pastor there preached the bible, without fear of who they were offending. And that's how it should be! The bible, and the gospel, should never be watered down in order to appeal to the masses. What are you offering, but a lie, if you're showing people a watered down gospel? Share the gospel, in love and truth. Not just love.
The Church was held up by two tree trunks, and was covered my two big sheets of tin. That was the realest church i've ever been in. God was more real in that hut than any of the churches i've been to. I attended a church in Gwinnett county this past weekend. The church, i'll admit, was massive. I'm not one to say that just because it's big doesn't mean it's a bible believing, bible preaching church. Not all big churches are subject to a Joel Osteen prosperity gospel. Well, upon walking in I was greeted by a Starbucks in the lobby. Again, trying my best to remain objective and unbiased. Well, upon sitting in the stadium seating auditorium, the "service" was opened by a reenactment of Michael Jackson's "Black or White". That was followed by a few praise and worship songs and then a message of a man who spent an hour talking about how he made it from India to the states. At the end of his talk, he was asked to pray, and right then was the first time he had uttered the word "Jesus". People cheered, stood up and gave him a standing ovation amongst their tears.
What?
Haiti might be in trouble, but lets be brutally honest, the states are just as much slaves as the Haitians are. Our masters just look a little different. Our churches here, don't preach the bible. Like I said before, if you're not preaching the bible, if you're offering comfortable seats, a rock concert, or a money driven gospel, you're offering garbage. That is not the gospel found in the bible. That's not a place that worships a very real very powerful yet fulling loving God that sent his Son to die in exchange for your sin. That's not the worship of a God who called those who believe in him to leave everything behind and follow him. Matthew 4:19 is an account of Jesus talking to his first disciples. He says the following. However brief, further examination shows that it costed far more than any of us are willing to pay.
"And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." (ESV)
They were fishermen. That's all they had. That was their livelihood! Yet Jesus walks up to them and says "Leave it all behind, and come with me." That's a huge cost! But it's what the bible teaches, and that's what Jesus expects of us.
All of this leads to what I believe is the best kept secret in the bible. Not many people know about it, or know where it is found, but I promise you, i'd bet my life on it, this secret will save the country of Haiti. This secret will save our self-absorbed culture. This will fix the churches of America. And if you don't think something is wrong with the churches of America, something is wrong. The secret, can actually be pieced together in two verses. The first one:
"11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (Acts 17:11, NIV)
Coupled with this.
"2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others." (2 Timothy 2:2 NIV)
What would the world look like if those who filled churches sunday morning lived by Acts 17:11 and read the bible for themselves? If they didn't just take what people like Joel Osteen told them and looked up what the bible has to say about it for themselves? My guess is we wouldn't have churches like the one I visited in Gwinnett. If that 80% of america that claims to be Christian would open their bibles, not just on sunday morning, and lived it out, like the bible commands us to, this would look like a very different place. We, as a people, would look like Jesus. The problem there, is that looking like Jesus costs too much.
If we read the bible, if we lived it out, if we looked like Jesus, then we would do what Jesus did, right? Jesus knew his word, lived it out, and the most difficult part, he told those around him about it. He didn't just walk around with a "God hates Fags" sign, or stand somewhere and say "God loves you". He does love you, but the way Jesus lived amongst the people was far more than that! He chose 12 men, lets not consider Judas for the time being, and lived among them! He taught them, equipped them, grew old with them. This is discipleship! They all had personal relationships, not just a surface level encounter where John 3:16 was shared and nothing was heard ever again. It was life on life! And not only did Jesus do those things with the 12, but the 12, again sans Judas, turned around and did the exact same thing with others! That's what a fisher of men does!
I can't help but call it a secret. Why? I look around at a country that is "80% Christian" and I don't see any of this happening. This issue, however intertwining, comes down on the men of the church. Gentlemen, read your bible. Do it for your church, for your wife, for your children, for your girlfriends, for your brothers around you. Read it, live it out. Hope, for this country, for the country of Haiti, for the World, isn't found in political leaders, or the next economic bail out package, or an improved real estate market, or in looking good. Hope is found in the bible, and in discipleship. I beg you, just read it. Not only read it, but teach others to read it. To live it out. And make sure they'll tell others as well. I'll close this lengthy post with the last thing Jesus told his disciples before ascending into heaven. It's a hefty call, and it costs everything, because it's worth everything.
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV)
Well, in February of this year, I was approached by the same team. They were trying to go back in May which was very do-able for me. Everything neatly fell into place and I ended out boarding a plane to Port Au Prince on May 20th. A lot happened over those two and a half weeks. Flooded streets, dead people, frustrations, voodoo, scabies, it was all there. Because of this, it's been very difficult for me to pull out a few big points from the trip that I could offer to those who would ask how the trip went. Nonetheless, here is my humble attempt:
I had the privilege of spending two and a half weeks in a culture where nobody cared about the clothes you wore, how much you worked out, the kind of car you had, the kind of body you had, the money you had, or your socioeconomic status. Materialism, in the poorest country in the western hemisphere was unheard of. Here is a small excerpt from http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPOVERTY/EXTPA/0,,contentMDK:20207590~menuPK:443285~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:430367,00.html
"Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest countries in the developing world. Its per capital income--$ 250--is considerably less than one-tenth the Latin American average. About 80 percent of the rural Haitian population live in poverty. Moreover, far from improving, the poverty situation in Haiti has been deteriorating over the past decade, concomitant with a rate of decline in per capita GNP of 5.2 percent a year over the 1985-95 period."
Imagine the effect the earthquake had on those numbers. Golf is unheard of. Boats? Maybe if you mean a sheet of tin to stay floating as the streets flood in the harsh rain. The house I stayed in had a total of two mirrors. And they were small. What would the majority of America do without a mirror to assess personal aesthetics before they walked out the door in the morning? I had a conversation with a man I met in a tent village, and I think it perfectly describes what i'm trying to say.
Me: "So, what is the voodoo like in this village? Is it a big deal?"
Godson: "Voodoo? heh. We don't have time for voodoo here. We don't have time for a lot of things in this village. We are trying to survive."
The people of that country don't have time to care about their dress size, or if they look like celebrity x. This egocentric-less lifestyle has changed the entirety of the culture. Because people don't care about how they look, or how others look, and because the majority of the country is in the same situation they're in, the way they relate to each other is different from what we see here in the states or other countries that aren't overcome with poverty. There are no cliques, no social classes to strive for or to look down upon. What would the states look like without this? Without people comparing cars or purses? I think that we as a nation have been very fortunate in that we are by no means poverty stricken. We do have nice houses, cars, clothes, we have professional sports teams and we have multi-million dollar stadiums that house multi-million dollar athletes. I'm not suggesting we wake up and throw it all away (although it might not be a bad idea) but what i'm thinking is, how did we become this? Is this all we have to look forward to? Young women sticking fingers down their throats so they can maintain a body figure that, quite honestly, nobody is going to give a rats tail about in 100 years? Sex doesn't sell there, body image doesn't sell there. Yeah, the argument could be made that not many things do, but places have become what they have become without swimsuit models sudding up a car so a car can be sold. What if we as a people, stopped caring about how we looked, or what we had? Matthew 6:19 resounds in my head now more than ever.
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal." (NIV)
Not only does this lifestyle drastically change their social interactions, but, as expected, it changed their religion.
"It is a matter of well-documented historical fact that the nation of Haiti was dedicated to Satan 200 years ago. On August 14, 1791, a group of houngans (voodoo priests), led by a former slave houngan named Boukman, made a pact with the Devil at a place called Bois-Caiman. All present vowed to exterminate all of the white Frenchmen on the island. They sacrificed a black pig in a voodoo ritual at which hundreds of slaves drank the pig’s blood. In this ritual, Boukman asked Satan for his help in liberating Haiti from the French. In exchange, the voodoo priests offered to give the country to Satan for 200 years and swore to serve him. On January 1, 1804, the nation of Haiti was born and thus began a new demonic tyranny."
Great article on this whole thing:
http://www.americandaily.com/article/95
200 years after, the government officially established voodoo as the religion of the country. For the last year and a half, the country to Haiti has been the charity case of the world. As harsh as that may sound, it's absolutely true. Money, aid, resources, they've all been sent to the country. So, what gives? Scoffers say as you will, but I can't help but think the religious state of the country has a lot to do with it.
Whatever the case of the government, God has been working in that country. I had the privilege of attending a couple of small churches in Haiti. One was in the country village of Dinis, which was awesome. I'm sure a lot of you have heard, as had I before I went, but the people there had a very REAL relationship with God. Their worship was passionate, honest, intimate. The pastor there preached the bible, without fear of who they were offending. And that's how it should be! The bible, and the gospel, should never be watered down in order to appeal to the masses. What are you offering, but a lie, if you're showing people a watered down gospel? Share the gospel, in love and truth. Not just love.
The Church was held up by two tree trunks, and was covered my two big sheets of tin. That was the realest church i've ever been in. God was more real in that hut than any of the churches i've been to. I attended a church in Gwinnett county this past weekend. The church, i'll admit, was massive. I'm not one to say that just because it's big doesn't mean it's a bible believing, bible preaching church. Not all big churches are subject to a Joel Osteen prosperity gospel. Well, upon walking in I was greeted by a Starbucks in the lobby. Again, trying my best to remain objective and unbiased. Well, upon sitting in the stadium seating auditorium, the "service" was opened by a reenactment of Michael Jackson's "Black or White". That was followed by a few praise and worship songs and then a message of a man who spent an hour talking about how he made it from India to the states. At the end of his talk, he was asked to pray, and right then was the first time he had uttered the word "Jesus". People cheered, stood up and gave him a standing ovation amongst their tears.
What?
Haiti might be in trouble, but lets be brutally honest, the states are just as much slaves as the Haitians are. Our masters just look a little different. Our churches here, don't preach the bible. Like I said before, if you're not preaching the bible, if you're offering comfortable seats, a rock concert, or a money driven gospel, you're offering garbage. That is not the gospel found in the bible. That's not a place that worships a very real very powerful yet fulling loving God that sent his Son to die in exchange for your sin. That's not the worship of a God who called those who believe in him to leave everything behind and follow him. Matthew 4:19 is an account of Jesus talking to his first disciples. He says the following. However brief, further examination shows that it costed far more than any of us are willing to pay.
"And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." (ESV)
They were fishermen. That's all they had. That was their livelihood! Yet Jesus walks up to them and says "Leave it all behind, and come with me." That's a huge cost! But it's what the bible teaches, and that's what Jesus expects of us.
All of this leads to what I believe is the best kept secret in the bible. Not many people know about it, or know where it is found, but I promise you, i'd bet my life on it, this secret will save the country of Haiti. This secret will save our self-absorbed culture. This will fix the churches of America. And if you don't think something is wrong with the churches of America, something is wrong. The secret, can actually be pieced together in two verses. The first one:
"11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (Acts 17:11, NIV)
Coupled with this.
"2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others." (2 Timothy 2:2 NIV)
What would the world look like if those who filled churches sunday morning lived by Acts 17:11 and read the bible for themselves? If they didn't just take what people like Joel Osteen told them and looked up what the bible has to say about it for themselves? My guess is we wouldn't have churches like the one I visited in Gwinnett. If that 80% of america that claims to be Christian would open their bibles, not just on sunday morning, and lived it out, like the bible commands us to, this would look like a very different place. We, as a people, would look like Jesus. The problem there, is that looking like Jesus costs too much.
If we read the bible, if we lived it out, if we looked like Jesus, then we would do what Jesus did, right? Jesus knew his word, lived it out, and the most difficult part, he told those around him about it. He didn't just walk around with a "God hates Fags" sign, or stand somewhere and say "God loves you". He does love you, but the way Jesus lived amongst the people was far more than that! He chose 12 men, lets not consider Judas for the time being, and lived among them! He taught them, equipped them, grew old with them. This is discipleship! They all had personal relationships, not just a surface level encounter where John 3:16 was shared and nothing was heard ever again. It was life on life! And not only did Jesus do those things with the 12, but the 12, again sans Judas, turned around and did the exact same thing with others! That's what a fisher of men does!
I can't help but call it a secret. Why? I look around at a country that is "80% Christian" and I don't see any of this happening. This issue, however intertwining, comes down on the men of the church. Gentlemen, read your bible. Do it for your church, for your wife, for your children, for your girlfriends, for your brothers around you. Read it, live it out. Hope, for this country, for the country of Haiti, for the World, isn't found in political leaders, or the next economic bail out package, or an improved real estate market, or in looking good. Hope is found in the bible, and in discipleship. I beg you, just read it. Not only read it, but teach others to read it. To live it out. And make sure they'll tell others as well. I'll close this lengthy post with the last thing Jesus told his disciples before ascending into heaven. It's a hefty call, and it costs everything, because it's worth everything.
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20 NIV)
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
...And the truth will set you free.
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." (Psalm 139:13-14)
"I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." (Jeremiah 31:3)
"I will NEVER leave you or forsake you." (Joshua 1:5)
"So God created man in his own image. In the image of God he created them. Male and Female, he created them." (Genesis 1:27)
"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." (1 John 4:18)
"No, in ALL things we are more than conquerers through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:37)
"He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." (Micah 7:19)
"I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
"We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. For the one who has died has been set free from sin." (Romans 6:6-7)
"So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God." (Galatians 4:7)
"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave them the right to become children of God." (John 1:12)
"For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you." (1 Thessalonians 1:4)
And just in case you're doubting any of the above...
"in hope of eternal life, which God, WHO NEVER LIES, promised before the ages began..." (Titus 1:2)
"So that by two unchangable things, in which it is IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie... (Hebrews 6:18a)
"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)
"I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you." (Jeremiah 31:3)
"I will NEVER leave you or forsake you." (Joshua 1:5)
"So God created man in his own image. In the image of God he created them. Male and Female, he created them." (Genesis 1:27)
"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." (1 John 4:18)
"No, in ALL things we are more than conquerers through Him who loved us." (Romans 8:37)
"He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea." (Micah 7:19)
"I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
"We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. For the one who has died has been set free from sin." (Romans 6:6-7)
"So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God." (Galatians 4:7)
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you are saved." (Ephesians 2:4-5)
"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave them the right to become children of God." (John 1:12)
"For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you." (1 Thessalonians 1:4)
And just in case you're doubting any of the above...
"in hope of eternal life, which God, WHO NEVER LIES, promised before the ages began..." (Titus 1:2)
"So that by two unchangable things, in which it is IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie... (Hebrews 6:18a)
"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Just in case you thought I had it all together...
This post comes without much prep, and since that's the case, then there is very little telling what all this post is going to include. I'm not entirely sure where to start to be honest.
I first and foremost wanted to extend an apology to all of the people who have percevied me as such, because of the way I have handled myself in the past. It wasn't intentional by any means, but I still seem to have done the deed. Larry Crabb, author of Silence of Adam, writes about how unmanly, cowardly men spend their time hiding. They put up a front of being the witty guy, the funny guy who makes everyone laugh, or anything else really. Anything that a male can hide behind so people don't see who he really is. Either because of fear or rejection as to his real person, or fear of getting hurt. These are the men who develop cold households when they have families. They don't let in their wives, or have a close group of men who remain deeply involved in this man's life. These men don't let their children see who their father really is, so this impossible standard is set for them, which leaves the children in an endless, torturous cycle of get up, try, fail, sit around depressed, not want to get up but do it anyway, and fail again.
I'm not entirely sure what it is for me, I don't know if I do hide behind something, if i'm scared of showing who I am because I might not be accepted, or I won't be perceived as a leader who is reliable. I do know however that there has been been enough talk about this recently to make me consider it. And i'm willing to bet that there is something I hide behind. Most men do. There might be something about the slight spring in my step, or something about how I talk to people, or something about how I handle seemingly bad news. Whatever it is, it can come off as my thinking I have it all together. Truth be told, I don't.
Over the last few hours I have been very graciously shown that I don't have the slightest idea what i'm doing. There have been a couple of things that have come up recently that have shown me such. One of the men that I lead, who will go un-named for obvious reasons, has had to handle the chore of dealing with me as long as he has. During times when i'm diligent and faithful, to times when the last thing I want to do is sit and spend time with him. I could learn a little something about being faithful from him.
In preparation for a mission trip to haiti this summer, (more on this later) I once again was faced with the sobering fact that i'm not ready to go. At all. I struggle with motivating myself to exceed in academics, which i'm sure is a common trend for most other students, but if i'm trying to live my life in such a manner as one that represents Christ, "others do it too" is far from an acceptable excuse. I struggle in the small things, like hitting snooze too often in the mornings, and I struggle in the seemingly larger more dangerous issues, like wanting to serve in a way we are called to serve, but expect in the back of my head that at some point it will all be reciprocated. I don't love with a true love that doesn't measure, but just keeps on giving. I doubt myself, often. I wonder if i'm doing the right thing, or the wrong thing, or the right thing at the wrong time. I have a hard time accepting when i've done the wrong thing, and that happens quite often. All this doubt ties into insecurities. I'm insecure about my ability to lead a man to a closer walk with Jesus. I'm insecure about my ability to lead a woman well. I'm insecure about my ability to love on a woman well. I'm insecure about how I come off to others, I don't know if it's a fear, but i'm realizing that I, like most men, want to be respected, and want to be listened to. And I see it not happen and I wonder what's wrong with me. I don't even know if people will read this, or care to read it. And that gets me to thinking about why would people care about what I think in the first place. I want to be listened to, but what makes me think I have something to say that's worth while?
I don't have it all together, and I didn't realize that I come off as someone who might have it all together. Sorry again for handling myself in that manner. This is probably one of the more "emo" posts I will make, and don't get me wrong, this wasn't some pity post looking for sympathy. This is more of a genuine i'm sorry to those who read it. It's something I will be more conscious of in the future and hopefully when you guys look at me, you won't see a man hiding behind a facade, but you'll see someone who lives humbly. Because quite honestly, I have no reason not to.
I first and foremost wanted to extend an apology to all of the people who have percevied me as such, because of the way I have handled myself in the past. It wasn't intentional by any means, but I still seem to have done the deed. Larry Crabb, author of Silence of Adam, writes about how unmanly, cowardly men spend their time hiding. They put up a front of being the witty guy, the funny guy who makes everyone laugh, or anything else really. Anything that a male can hide behind so people don't see who he really is. Either because of fear or rejection as to his real person, or fear of getting hurt. These are the men who develop cold households when they have families. They don't let in their wives, or have a close group of men who remain deeply involved in this man's life. These men don't let their children see who their father really is, so this impossible standard is set for them, which leaves the children in an endless, torturous cycle of get up, try, fail, sit around depressed, not want to get up but do it anyway, and fail again.
I'm not entirely sure what it is for me, I don't know if I do hide behind something, if i'm scared of showing who I am because I might not be accepted, or I won't be perceived as a leader who is reliable. I do know however that there has been been enough talk about this recently to make me consider it. And i'm willing to bet that there is something I hide behind. Most men do. There might be something about the slight spring in my step, or something about how I talk to people, or something about how I handle seemingly bad news. Whatever it is, it can come off as my thinking I have it all together. Truth be told, I don't.
Over the last few hours I have been very graciously shown that I don't have the slightest idea what i'm doing. There have been a couple of things that have come up recently that have shown me such. One of the men that I lead, who will go un-named for obvious reasons, has had to handle the chore of dealing with me as long as he has. During times when i'm diligent and faithful, to times when the last thing I want to do is sit and spend time with him. I could learn a little something about being faithful from him.
In preparation for a mission trip to haiti this summer, (more on this later) I once again was faced with the sobering fact that i'm not ready to go. At all. I struggle with motivating myself to exceed in academics, which i'm sure is a common trend for most other students, but if i'm trying to live my life in such a manner as one that represents Christ, "others do it too" is far from an acceptable excuse. I struggle in the small things, like hitting snooze too often in the mornings, and I struggle in the seemingly larger more dangerous issues, like wanting to serve in a way we are called to serve, but expect in the back of my head that at some point it will all be reciprocated. I don't love with a true love that doesn't measure, but just keeps on giving. I doubt myself, often. I wonder if i'm doing the right thing, or the wrong thing, or the right thing at the wrong time. I have a hard time accepting when i've done the wrong thing, and that happens quite often. All this doubt ties into insecurities. I'm insecure about my ability to lead a man to a closer walk with Jesus. I'm insecure about my ability to lead a woman well. I'm insecure about my ability to love on a woman well. I'm insecure about how I come off to others, I don't know if it's a fear, but i'm realizing that I, like most men, want to be respected, and want to be listened to. And I see it not happen and I wonder what's wrong with me. I don't even know if people will read this, or care to read it. And that gets me to thinking about why would people care about what I think in the first place. I want to be listened to, but what makes me think I have something to say that's worth while?
I don't have it all together, and I didn't realize that I come off as someone who might have it all together. Sorry again for handling myself in that manner. This is probably one of the more "emo" posts I will make, and don't get me wrong, this wasn't some pity post looking for sympathy. This is more of a genuine i'm sorry to those who read it. It's something I will be more conscious of in the future and hopefully when you guys look at me, you won't see a man hiding behind a facade, but you'll see someone who lives humbly. Because quite honestly, I have no reason not to.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Don't stop running
The greatest things in life are normally the ones which take the most effort and sacrifice.
A long distance race has many perks. It proves to provide great time to think, great scenery, good time away from the daily routine, and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment when you reach the finish line. On the other hand, a downfall of a long distance race is that you get tired and you find yourself thinking, "Why am I doing this?". The metaphorical race normally represents life, but the questions we face still ring true, metaphor or not. Paul and other new testament authors commonly refer to the life we live here on earth as a race. One of my favorite examples of this is found in Hebrews 12:1:
"Therefore, since we surrounded by so great a could of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin that clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." (ESV)
I found myself asking that crucial question over the past few days. I had hit a slump. I was discouraged over a few things going on and really didn't want to do much of anything. I was tired, and didn't see much of anything happening regardless of the greatest of efforts I would exert. I wasn't thrilled about getting in the word, I wasn't thrilled about getting any time reading the bible with younger guys. The things that would normally excite me and light a little fire in my eyes had turned to just another drop of water on a duck's back.
My first instinct was to try to fix whatever the slump was, so I could go back to feeling good again. To feel like I was doing right in the world and God was happy with me. Try as I might, I couldn't. So I began to ask "Why is my first instinct to try to feel good again? Why try to mask the slump with good feelings and hope that it goes away?" Shortly after asking that, like God loves to do, he answered me. It wasn't quite what I expected, but He gave me a totally different perspective on things.
"Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am made strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV)
I had no reason to run away from the slump I was in. His strength really was made perfect in my weakness when I stood face to face with my lack of worth. There is JOY in my slump! There is JOY in your slump and your dry patch and your tough times! We, myself included, so easily hit a slump and either try to fix it or just let it tear us apart. It makes us want to stop running, to stop fighting, to think it's all pointless and is without rhyme or reason. I mean, why would we want to spend time reading the bible with younger guys and gals if we aren't okay with God? What makes us think that's going to be effective when we can't deal with the elephant on our own backs? Why do we think that God would incline his ear to our prayers, much like David so commonly claims?
Upon thinking all of the above, I went and I taught a young man how to spend time alone with God tonight. I walked away reminded of why it is that I do ministry. Why it is that I sacrifice the time and the effort and deal with the frustrations and the happiness and the anger and the disappointments that come with living a life obedient to Christ. The time I spent with this young man was so refreshing and exciting! It was rejuvenating to spend time in the word with him and see his heart as he so strongly desires to know more about God so he can live like him. God was the centerfold of everything that was discussed and he ate it up. I saw this man struggle with personal decisions he had to make, and boldly held his head high to face what was in front of him. I saw how God is going to move regardless of my slump, or if I felt like I was on top of the world. It was so great a reminder of why I want to invest in others for the rest of my life, why I should never stop running, and I hope it serves as one to why you never should either.
C.S. Lewis, famous for the Chronicles of Narnia series, wrote a book from the perspective of a demon by the name of Screwtape. The book was called "The Screwtape Letters" and is written as letters that Screwtape writes to his nephew, Wormwood, about how to cause a human to stumble and live a life disobedient to Christ. Screwtape says the following. It's a lengthy read, but it's worth it:
"Humans are amphibians--half spirit, half animal. As spirits they belong to the eternal world, but as animals they inhabit time. This means that while their spirit can be directed to an eternal object, their bodies, their passions, and imaginations are in continual change, for to be in time means to change. Their nearest approach to constancy, therefore, is undulation-- the repeated return to a level from which the repeatedly fall back, a series of troughs and peaks. If you had watched your patient carefully you would have seen this undulation in every department of his life-- his interests in work, his affection for his friends, his physical appetites, all go up and down. As long as he lives on earth periods of emotional and bodily richness and liveliness will alternate with periods of numbness and poverty."
Satan uses the peaks to numb us into thinking we don't need God, and the valleys to think God doesn't want us. Screwtape finishes the letter with this:
"Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trance of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys."
A long distance race has many perks. It proves to provide great time to think, great scenery, good time away from the daily routine, and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment when you reach the finish line. On the other hand, a downfall of a long distance race is that you get tired and you find yourself thinking, "Why am I doing this?". The metaphorical race normally represents life, but the questions we face still ring true, metaphor or not. Paul and other new testament authors commonly refer to the life we live here on earth as a race. One of my favorite examples of this is found in Hebrews 12:1:
"Therefore, since we surrounded by so great a could of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin that clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." (ESV)
I found myself asking that crucial question over the past few days. I had hit a slump. I was discouraged over a few things going on and really didn't want to do much of anything. I was tired, and didn't see much of anything happening regardless of the greatest of efforts I would exert. I wasn't thrilled about getting in the word, I wasn't thrilled about getting any time reading the bible with younger guys. The things that would normally excite me and light a little fire in my eyes had turned to just another drop of water on a duck's back.
My first instinct was to try to fix whatever the slump was, so I could go back to feeling good again. To feel like I was doing right in the world and God was happy with me. Try as I might, I couldn't. So I began to ask "Why is my first instinct to try to feel good again? Why try to mask the slump with good feelings and hope that it goes away?" Shortly after asking that, like God loves to do, he answered me. It wasn't quite what I expected, but He gave me a totally different perspective on things.
"Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am made strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV)
I had no reason to run away from the slump I was in. His strength really was made perfect in my weakness when I stood face to face with my lack of worth. There is JOY in my slump! There is JOY in your slump and your dry patch and your tough times! We, myself included, so easily hit a slump and either try to fix it or just let it tear us apart. It makes us want to stop running, to stop fighting, to think it's all pointless and is without rhyme or reason. I mean, why would we want to spend time reading the bible with younger guys and gals if we aren't okay with God? What makes us think that's going to be effective when we can't deal with the elephant on our own backs? Why do we think that God would incline his ear to our prayers, much like David so commonly claims?
Upon thinking all of the above, I went and I taught a young man how to spend time alone with God tonight. I walked away reminded of why it is that I do ministry. Why it is that I sacrifice the time and the effort and deal with the frustrations and the happiness and the anger and the disappointments that come with living a life obedient to Christ. The time I spent with this young man was so refreshing and exciting! It was rejuvenating to spend time in the word with him and see his heart as he so strongly desires to know more about God so he can live like him. God was the centerfold of everything that was discussed and he ate it up. I saw this man struggle with personal decisions he had to make, and boldly held his head high to face what was in front of him. I saw how God is going to move regardless of my slump, or if I felt like I was on top of the world. It was so great a reminder of why I want to invest in others for the rest of my life, why I should never stop running, and I hope it serves as one to why you never should either.
C.S. Lewis, famous for the Chronicles of Narnia series, wrote a book from the perspective of a demon by the name of Screwtape. The book was called "The Screwtape Letters" and is written as letters that Screwtape writes to his nephew, Wormwood, about how to cause a human to stumble and live a life disobedient to Christ. Screwtape says the following. It's a lengthy read, but it's worth it:
"Humans are amphibians--half spirit, half animal. As spirits they belong to the eternal world, but as animals they inhabit time. This means that while their spirit can be directed to an eternal object, their bodies, their passions, and imaginations are in continual change, for to be in time means to change. Their nearest approach to constancy, therefore, is undulation-- the repeated return to a level from which the repeatedly fall back, a series of troughs and peaks. If you had watched your patient carefully you would have seen this undulation in every department of his life-- his interests in work, his affection for his friends, his physical appetites, all go up and down. As long as he lives on earth periods of emotional and bodily richness and liveliness will alternate with periods of numbness and poverty."
Satan uses the peaks to numb us into thinking we don't need God, and the valleys to think God doesn't want us. Screwtape finishes the letter with this:
"Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trance of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys."
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