“Once Upon a Time”
When you hear those words, what do you most commonly think of? A story right? Generally a fairy tale or fable more than likely. Bob Dylan opens his 1966 magnum opus “Like A Rolling Stone” which was once voted by Rolling Stone magazine as the “greatest rock song of all time” with this phrase. The song tells the story of a person in a high place and high position in society who ultimately loses their prestige and popularity, leading to feelings of drifting directionless on stormy seas.
As the song opens we are introduced to a first character, who is given a stern warning:
“Once upon a time you dressed so fine
You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you ?
People'd call, say, "Beware doll, you're bound to fall"
You thought they were all kiddin' you”
This calls to mind immediately the words of Solomon in Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (ESV). In Dylan’s words people are warning our character that she should beware because she is ‘bound to fall’ however, she thinks they are kidding with her. Thus, this character is prideful thinking nothing will happen to her. As the song continues however we find out:
“You used to laugh about
Everybody that was hangin' out
Now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be scrounging for your next meal.
How does it feel?
How does it feel?
To be without a home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone?”
Indeed our protagonist has been humbled. In this way, I’ve always felt Dylan was acting like the watchman in Ezekiel 33:3-6 who we are told should warn the town of coming danger. If the watchman warns the town of coming danger and they do not listen, the townsfolk fate is their own fault, however, if the watchman fails to warn the town of impending doom, the fate of the townsfolk is his fault in the eyes of the Lord.
Let’s continue a couple of stanzas down
“You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns
When they all come down and did tricks for you
You never understood that it ain't no good
You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you
You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat
Ain't it hard when you discover that
He really wasn't where it's at
After he took from you everything he could steal.”
Here we see our main character has been deceived by people who she thought were her friends but were indeed her enemies, wolves in sheep’s clothing if you will, to burrow Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:15 about false prophets who can lead us astray, and take from us everything they can steal, including our souls when it comes to speaking in eternal terms!
I also like the imagery of riding on a ‘chrome horse.’ Chrome which is made from the chemical of chromium is actually not a super rare chemical, but is very rust resistant for a metal, and appears to be a lot more impressive than it really is. Thus our character is riding on a chrome horse that makes her appear more important than she ultimately is.
The last stanza sets up some interesting ideas as well:
“Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people
They're drinkin', thinkin' that they got it made
Exchanging all precious gifts
But you'd better take your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it babe
You used to be so amused
At Napoleon in rags and the language that he used
Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse
When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose
You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal.”
I like the concept’s here that Dylan discusses in reference to the thought of a wealthy person needing to pawn a diamond ring. I doubt that a thought like that would ever cross their mind, yet there will come day for every person that puts us all on equal footing, it will strip even a decorated French war general like Napoleon into rags. That great equalizer is death, and every single human being on earth will experience it.
Jesus spoke about the concept of what happens when we die on several occasions, one though that is most poignant to our song exposition here though. Jesus tells us a parable in Luke 16:19-31 about a rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. Lazarus would wait by the rich mans gate every day just hoping that he could raid the rich man’s trash in order to feed himself. The day came when both men died. The wealthy man who never cared at all for the poor went to hell, while Lazarus went to Heaven, where he had the opportunity to hang out with Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel! The rich man is able to look up and see both Abraham and Lazarus in paradise and begs for Lazarus to dip his finger in cool water to cool his (the rich mans) tongue for he is in anguish! Abraham’s response is chilling:
But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.” (Luke 16:25-26 ESV).
I don’t know about you but this may be one of the most terrifying passages of scripture when it comes to what happens when we die. There are two options: Heaven or Hell. That is it! So often times we see people in society who become wealthy and comfortable here in this life, but unless they surrender their lives to Jesus will spend eternity in Hell. Jesus once also said it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 19:24)! Why you ask? Well, I think it because wealthy people simply naturally desire to become wealthier, until greed consumes their life! Christianity teaches that we are to lay aside our desires and seek God’s will, that is whole lot easier to do if God has brought you to a place where you have nothing but Him and Him alone, and need to trust Him alone, not money, not status in society, not your own mental or physical abilities, no Him and Him ALONE!
It is not easy friends, and that is why it is so important to store up treasures in heaven (Luke 12:33) and not be as concerned with what happens to us in this life. Don’t get me wrong possessions are fine, but when they become idols we have a major problem. It can send us away from the Lord the person who gave us life, and leave us with ‘no direction home/like a rolling stone.” The good news is, there is Grace for those who have lost their way, but only through Jesus the man who died to save our souls! Yet in order to be saved we need to lay our lives, our wills, and our desires for anything that is not of God (Rom. 8:7), in order to receive that Grace, the kind only God can bestow on us through His Son!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Each Of Us Has Something Special to Offer The World
Having the humbleness to recognize that you need help is probably one of the most important character qualities one can have. How many poor grades on English papers, or customer’s becoming angry with you for being too slow with their food could be avoided by simply knowing when to admit that you are in over your head. Craig, the hero of the fine 2010 movie “It’s Kind of A Funny Story” has this quality. Craig has battled depression for several years, and even been on Zoloft for his depression, but decided not to take his medication anymore and became depressed, to the point of contemplating suicide! However, instead of going through with the tragic act, he walks into a hospital and asks to be admitted for help. After some persuading of the doctor that he needs to be hospitalized, because he truly doesn’t understand why he is so depressed, he is admitted for a five-day observation period and the story begins.
After being guided by the young Doctor Mahmoud, who is completing his residency in the hospital psych ward, to his room. The doctor introduces Craig to Bobby, another patient who to Craig seems completely happy and at ease, leaving Craig to wonder why he is even checked into the psych ward to begin with. Craig is also introduced to Muqtada, who will be Craig’s roommate for the five- day period. Muqtada, Craig is told never leaves his room and rarely leaves his bed, often only to use the restroom. From there Bobby gives him the tour of the rest of the patient all whom have disorders such as schizophrenia, or Turret’s syndrome, leaving Craig a bit unnerved at having to stay in such a facility. When he asks the chief Psychiatrist to allow him to leave early, she tells him that since he has been admitted, he must now stay for the five-day period. Craig’s parents also visit him and his Dad reminds him that he has a application to a accelerated summer school due soon.
Throughout the movie Craig fills in the blanks for us with overdubbed information. It is there that we learn that Craig truly doesn’t know why he is depressed, but that his parents desire for him to achieve a lot in his life, and that he is very smart and attends a prestigious New York high school. We also learn that Craig’s best friend Aaron also attends this same school with his girlfriend Nia, whom Craig has had a crush on for a long time.
All of this background information is important as the film unfolds because several things happen. To begin with Craig finds a mentor in Bobby who helps guide him and give him the necessary kick in the butt when it is needed. Bobby encourages him to get involved in the activities that the patients participate in, such as group discussion time, and music therapy. He also encourages Craig to begin talking with young Noelle, a patient who is also Craig’s age. One scene that is particularly memorable is a scene where Craig and Bobby are playing basketball in the hospital gym, a place they have snuck to illegally. Bobby walks Craig through the ropes of how to ask a girl out that is both humorous and heartfelt.
The whole concept of mentorship that is portrayed here through Bobby and Craig is a Biblical idea. In Titus chapter 2 Paul encourages Titus to mentor the young men in his church by teaching them ‘to live wisely in all they do’ (Titus 2:6-7). This whole chapter in Titus is a discussion on the importance on mentorship for both men and women, and throughout this movie, Bobby does give Craig solid and wise advice.
As far as Craig’s friendship with Noelle goes, he begins by playing a question game that she tells him to play in which she asks a question and Craig’s response must also be a question. This is a fun scene in this movie as well. By the end of their conversation Noelle races him to the Art Therapy meeting, and it is there Craig while claiming he can’t draw, sketches an amazing piece of art that is unique and praised by everyone in the room! It is here we see that Craig is finding out that his true purpose in life is probably not becoming a lawyer like his father seems to think his son should be, but an artist instead. Craig soon realizes that when he is drawing his depressing and suicidal thoughts disappear, as he tells the Psychologist soon after in a private meeting.
When viewed in light of the Christian worldview this makes sense! As a Christian I believe that God creates every one of us with a purpose and gives us gifts to help us to accomplish that purpose. The Apostle Paul talks about this a lot in 1 Corinthians 12, which those of you who know your Bible will realize is the famous passage on Spiritual gifts. Particularly this section of 1 Corinthians 12 stands out to me on this topic of our purposes in life: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same spirit, and there are varieties of service but the same Lord, and there are varieties of activities but it is the same who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good” (1 Cor. 12:4-7 ESV). That last verse is especially important to focus on. God gives us each one or more gifts that is for the good of many people! Think about that God has a plan to accomplish certain things through each and every one of us who looks to His Son as our source of Salvation! The last thing we should do is to try to fulfill a purpose that he has planned for someone else trying to use a gift He hasn’t given to us! Craig’s revelation here, subtly accentuates this point quite nicely!
One last topic I would like to cover here involves Craig’s new budding relationship with Noelle, and the challenge that Craig has on his plate when he finds out over the phone that his friends Aaron and Nia have broken up. Nia then calls Craig and tells him that she would like to visit him, and when she does it becomes obvious that she is suddenly attracted to Craig very much! The begin to make out and she aggressively begins to pull him down on bed in Craig’s room. Fortunately though, Muqtada, Craig’s roommate emerges from the lavatory and immediately breaks up their passionate make out session by chasing Nia out of the room screaming she is ‘temptress’ and that he will not allow ‘sex on his bed in his room!” Craig runs out after her screaming that he love her, only to realize Noelle has heard him and looks completely hurt and dejected! Muqtada right here acts as another mentor in a sense that he, like Solomon in Proverbs 7 warns Craig of how a women’s motives can lead a man astray very easily.
Craig realizes how badly he has messed everything up with Noelle, and he decides to stay in his room with Muqtada and quite going out in the world because as he says to Muqtada “you had it right all along Muqtada, it is better to stay in here and not ever go out there!” This is when Bobby pays him a visit and utters the line that he needs to get up dust himself off and chose to find happiness again, because ‘those who aren't busy being born are busy dying" which some of you may recognize as a line from Bob Dylan’s “It’s Alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding” off his 1965 album “Bringing It All Back Home.”
That is the overall message to this film, we need to live our lives because each of us has something special to offer to the world. Young Craig learns this while spending his time in the psychiatric ward. He learns that he has a gift for creating unique art, and that many of the other patients also have special gifts. He learns how to seek forgiveness and how to bring out the best in people. Lessons like that are often the hardest to learn, but can be the most rewarding once we’ve learned them! God desires us to learn lessons like these because as King David wrote in Psalm 51:6 “You desire honesty from the heart, so you can teach me to be wise.” It is not until we are truly honest with both ourselves and God that He can grow us in wisdom, which leads us to being able to have the ability to teach and help others!
After being guided by the young Doctor Mahmoud, who is completing his residency in the hospital psych ward, to his room. The doctor introduces Craig to Bobby, another patient who to Craig seems completely happy and at ease, leaving Craig to wonder why he is even checked into the psych ward to begin with. Craig is also introduced to Muqtada, who will be Craig’s roommate for the five- day period. Muqtada, Craig is told never leaves his room and rarely leaves his bed, often only to use the restroom. From there Bobby gives him the tour of the rest of the patient all whom have disorders such as schizophrenia, or Turret’s syndrome, leaving Craig a bit unnerved at having to stay in such a facility. When he asks the chief Psychiatrist to allow him to leave early, she tells him that since he has been admitted, he must now stay for the five-day period. Craig’s parents also visit him and his Dad reminds him that he has a application to a accelerated summer school due soon.
Throughout the movie Craig fills in the blanks for us with overdubbed information. It is there that we learn that Craig truly doesn’t know why he is depressed, but that his parents desire for him to achieve a lot in his life, and that he is very smart and attends a prestigious New York high school. We also learn that Craig’s best friend Aaron also attends this same school with his girlfriend Nia, whom Craig has had a crush on for a long time.
All of this background information is important as the film unfolds because several things happen. To begin with Craig finds a mentor in Bobby who helps guide him and give him the necessary kick in the butt when it is needed. Bobby encourages him to get involved in the activities that the patients participate in, such as group discussion time, and music therapy. He also encourages Craig to begin talking with young Noelle, a patient who is also Craig’s age. One scene that is particularly memorable is a scene where Craig and Bobby are playing basketball in the hospital gym, a place they have snuck to illegally. Bobby walks Craig through the ropes of how to ask a girl out that is both humorous and heartfelt.
The whole concept of mentorship that is portrayed here through Bobby and Craig is a Biblical idea. In Titus chapter 2 Paul encourages Titus to mentor the young men in his church by teaching them ‘to live wisely in all they do’ (Titus 2:6-7). This whole chapter in Titus is a discussion on the importance on mentorship for both men and women, and throughout this movie, Bobby does give Craig solid and wise advice.
As far as Craig’s friendship with Noelle goes, he begins by playing a question game that she tells him to play in which she asks a question and Craig’s response must also be a question. This is a fun scene in this movie as well. By the end of their conversation Noelle races him to the Art Therapy meeting, and it is there Craig while claiming he can’t draw, sketches an amazing piece of art that is unique and praised by everyone in the room! It is here we see that Craig is finding out that his true purpose in life is probably not becoming a lawyer like his father seems to think his son should be, but an artist instead. Craig soon realizes that when he is drawing his depressing and suicidal thoughts disappear, as he tells the Psychologist soon after in a private meeting.
When viewed in light of the Christian worldview this makes sense! As a Christian I believe that God creates every one of us with a purpose and gives us gifts to help us to accomplish that purpose. The Apostle Paul talks about this a lot in 1 Corinthians 12, which those of you who know your Bible will realize is the famous passage on Spiritual gifts. Particularly this section of 1 Corinthians 12 stands out to me on this topic of our purposes in life: “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same spirit, and there are varieties of service but the same Lord, and there are varieties of activities but it is the same who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good” (1 Cor. 12:4-7 ESV). That last verse is especially important to focus on. God gives us each one or more gifts that is for the good of many people! Think about that God has a plan to accomplish certain things through each and every one of us who looks to His Son as our source of Salvation! The last thing we should do is to try to fulfill a purpose that he has planned for someone else trying to use a gift He hasn’t given to us! Craig’s revelation here, subtly accentuates this point quite nicely!
One last topic I would like to cover here involves Craig’s new budding relationship with Noelle, and the challenge that Craig has on his plate when he finds out over the phone that his friends Aaron and Nia have broken up. Nia then calls Craig and tells him that she would like to visit him, and when she does it becomes obvious that she is suddenly attracted to Craig very much! The begin to make out and she aggressively begins to pull him down on bed in Craig’s room. Fortunately though, Muqtada, Craig’s roommate emerges from the lavatory and immediately breaks up their passionate make out session by chasing Nia out of the room screaming she is ‘temptress’ and that he will not allow ‘sex on his bed in his room!” Craig runs out after her screaming that he love her, only to realize Noelle has heard him and looks completely hurt and dejected! Muqtada right here acts as another mentor in a sense that he, like Solomon in Proverbs 7 warns Craig of how a women’s motives can lead a man astray very easily.
Craig realizes how badly he has messed everything up with Noelle, and he decides to stay in his room with Muqtada and quite going out in the world because as he says to Muqtada “you had it right all along Muqtada, it is better to stay in here and not ever go out there!” This is when Bobby pays him a visit and utters the line that he needs to get up dust himself off and chose to find happiness again, because ‘those who aren't busy being born are busy dying" which some of you may recognize as a line from Bob Dylan’s “It’s Alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding” off his 1965 album “Bringing It All Back Home.”
That is the overall message to this film, we need to live our lives because each of us has something special to offer to the world. Young Craig learns this while spending his time in the psychiatric ward. He learns that he has a gift for creating unique art, and that many of the other patients also have special gifts. He learns how to seek forgiveness and how to bring out the best in people. Lessons like that are often the hardest to learn, but can be the most rewarding once we’ve learned them! God desires us to learn lessons like these because as King David wrote in Psalm 51:6 “You desire honesty from the heart, so you can teach me to be wise.” It is not until we are truly honest with both ourselves and God that He can grow us in wisdom, which leads us to being able to have the ability to teach and help others!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
For those of you who want to learn more about Jesus Christ, the man who's Resurrection from the dead we are celebrating tomorrow...
Those of you who have followed my blog over the last couple of months know that I am a huge fan of Author and Pastor Mark Driscoll, who’s Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington has grown in leaps and bounds over the past ten years! What is amazing about the story of Mars Hill’s growth is that Driscoll refuses to compromise on any issues related to what Scripture says on controversial topics such as Jesus being the one and only way to Heaven, and homosexuality being a sin in the eyes of God. He preaches the Bible and doesn’t ever apologize for it! In a culture that is more and more pluralistic each day, this is a victory!
Most recently, I read Driscoll’s 2007 book “Vintage Jesus” which he based on a series of sermons he gave back in 2006. Throughout this amazing book’s 12 chapters, Driscoll examines questions about Jesus in terms of Jesus’ Divinity, Jesus being human and God at the same time, Jesus’ mission on the earth, why Jesus had to die, and where Jesus is today. Following will be some of my thoughts on some of the many highlights of this book.
In examining how human Jesus was, Driscoll concludes that Jesus was 100% human and 100 % God, meaning that Jesus was God, but also understood everything about what it was like to be human. He would have had to use the bathroom, and would have laughed and cried and felt every emotion we humans experience, yet he did all of this without sinning! I particularly thought is was cool how Driscoll mentioned that Jesus must have been fun to be around, because he was invited to parties and weddings (John 2) and frequently spoke to large crowds ( one example is in Matthew 5).
There is also a chapter that I would recommend anyone read who has ever wondered about the Old Testament prophecies regarding Jesus. In a chapter entitled “How Did People Know Jesus Was Coming” Driscoll reviews 25 Old Testament prophecies regarding Jesus, and then shows how Jesus fulfilled each and every one of those prophecies by citing parts of the New Testament! It is very powerful to see Jesus’ fulfillment of so many prophecies given in some instances, 1000 years before He was born! Whether you are a Christian or a person simply questioning the existence of Jesus as Lord and Savior, I dare you to read this chapter and not be blown away!
Another fine point in this book, that completely made me stop in my tracks was a point Driscoll makes in the chapter on why Jesus had to die. In this chapter Driscoll reflects on the statement the Apostle Paul makes in 2 Corinthians 5:17 about how Jesus became sin so that we might become righteous in God’s eyes. Driscoll writes that when Jesus hung on the cross “Jesus became a homosexual, alcoholic, thief, glutton, addict, pervert, adulterer, coveter, idol worshiper, whore, pedophile, self-righteous religious prig---and whatever else we are.” That is why He had to die such an ugly and unfathomably gruesome death. He was taking God’s wrath for the entire sin of the world on His back, and actually became that sin in the eyes of God as He hung dying on the cross! In light of the fact that we will be celebrating Easter tomorrow, this makes Good Friday, which we celebrated yesterday, all the more sobering a day for us to commemorate!
One other section of this expository look at Jesus is Driscoll’s discussion of the three roles Jesus plays in our lives. He is first a Prophet, who speaks directly into our lives about areas in which we sin, and leads us into repentance for those sins. Next, He is our great High Priest, who as the author of Hebrews points out is now “the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him.”(Hebrews 5:9b) Another words, once Jesus as our Prophet convicts us of our sin, He then intercedes for us on our behalf before God, and God grants us forgiveness (Hebrews 5:1-2). Lastly, though Jesus also should be our King, so that He has rule over everything in our lives. As Driscoll states, “Jesus is not just the King who rules over nations on the earth and principalities and power of the heavens, but He also rules over our pants, web browsers, refrigerator, debit card, cubicle, and car horn. As our King, Jesus demands and deserves obedient loyalty to His commands over every aspect of our life.”
That is powerful stuff, and certainly an area that I need to work on, but it is a process, that takes years of walking with the Lord to establish, though we will never be able to do it perfectly because this is a fallen world with sin in it (Genesis 3). However, Driscoll is right when he says Jesus needs to be all three of those things in our lives, and as Believers it is good for us to strive to give Jesus authority over every area of our lives! Living this way is not easy, but I can tell you that the more I’ve started giving everything over to Jesus in my own life, the more I’ve seen Him grow me in my love for Him!
Other highlights of this book include the sections where Driscoll looks at where Jesus is today, and what will happen upon Jesus’ return to earth. You see, Driscoll points out quite accurately that we have no idea when Jesus will return, as Jesus Himself told us that He didn’t even know, only God the Father knows (Matthew 24:36). Therefore, Driscoll points out that all these people who claim they have figured out the exact day that Christ will return are bogus, but He will return, and when He does it will be to judge every person who has ever lived. Those that accepted His gift of atonement for their sins, will spend eternity in Heaven with Him, while those who did not accept His redemptive Grace will spend eternity in Hell apart from Him! If that doesn’t make those of us who are Believers want to share the Gospel with everyone we have the opportunity to share it with, I don’t know what will!
To conclude, I can easily recommend this book to just about anyone who wants to learn more about Jesus. Whether you are an inquisitive agnostic or a person who has been a Christian for more than 20 years, I guarantee you will learn something from Mark Driscoll’s incredibly well researched testament to Jesus Christ, the man who was sent by God to save our souls!
Most recently, I read Driscoll’s 2007 book “Vintage Jesus” which he based on a series of sermons he gave back in 2006. Throughout this amazing book’s 12 chapters, Driscoll examines questions about Jesus in terms of Jesus’ Divinity, Jesus being human and God at the same time, Jesus’ mission on the earth, why Jesus had to die, and where Jesus is today. Following will be some of my thoughts on some of the many highlights of this book.
In examining how human Jesus was, Driscoll concludes that Jesus was 100% human and 100 % God, meaning that Jesus was God, but also understood everything about what it was like to be human. He would have had to use the bathroom, and would have laughed and cried and felt every emotion we humans experience, yet he did all of this without sinning! I particularly thought is was cool how Driscoll mentioned that Jesus must have been fun to be around, because he was invited to parties and weddings (John 2) and frequently spoke to large crowds ( one example is in Matthew 5).
There is also a chapter that I would recommend anyone read who has ever wondered about the Old Testament prophecies regarding Jesus. In a chapter entitled “How Did People Know Jesus Was Coming” Driscoll reviews 25 Old Testament prophecies regarding Jesus, and then shows how Jesus fulfilled each and every one of those prophecies by citing parts of the New Testament! It is very powerful to see Jesus’ fulfillment of so many prophecies given in some instances, 1000 years before He was born! Whether you are a Christian or a person simply questioning the existence of Jesus as Lord and Savior, I dare you to read this chapter and not be blown away!
Another fine point in this book, that completely made me stop in my tracks was a point Driscoll makes in the chapter on why Jesus had to die. In this chapter Driscoll reflects on the statement the Apostle Paul makes in 2 Corinthians 5:17 about how Jesus became sin so that we might become righteous in God’s eyes. Driscoll writes that when Jesus hung on the cross “Jesus became a homosexual, alcoholic, thief, glutton, addict, pervert, adulterer, coveter, idol worshiper, whore, pedophile, self-righteous religious prig---and whatever else we are.” That is why He had to die such an ugly and unfathomably gruesome death. He was taking God’s wrath for the entire sin of the world on His back, and actually became that sin in the eyes of God as He hung dying on the cross! In light of the fact that we will be celebrating Easter tomorrow, this makes Good Friday, which we celebrated yesterday, all the more sobering a day for us to commemorate!
One other section of this expository look at Jesus is Driscoll’s discussion of the three roles Jesus plays in our lives. He is first a Prophet, who speaks directly into our lives about areas in which we sin, and leads us into repentance for those sins. Next, He is our great High Priest, who as the author of Hebrews points out is now “the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey Him.”(Hebrews 5:9b) Another words, once Jesus as our Prophet convicts us of our sin, He then intercedes for us on our behalf before God, and God grants us forgiveness (Hebrews 5:1-2). Lastly, though Jesus also should be our King, so that He has rule over everything in our lives. As Driscoll states, “Jesus is not just the King who rules over nations on the earth and principalities and power of the heavens, but He also rules over our pants, web browsers, refrigerator, debit card, cubicle, and car horn. As our King, Jesus demands and deserves obedient loyalty to His commands over every aspect of our life.”
That is powerful stuff, and certainly an area that I need to work on, but it is a process, that takes years of walking with the Lord to establish, though we will never be able to do it perfectly because this is a fallen world with sin in it (Genesis 3). However, Driscoll is right when he says Jesus needs to be all three of those things in our lives, and as Believers it is good for us to strive to give Jesus authority over every area of our lives! Living this way is not easy, but I can tell you that the more I’ve started giving everything over to Jesus in my own life, the more I’ve seen Him grow me in my love for Him!
Other highlights of this book include the sections where Driscoll looks at where Jesus is today, and what will happen upon Jesus’ return to earth. You see, Driscoll points out quite accurately that we have no idea when Jesus will return, as Jesus Himself told us that He didn’t even know, only God the Father knows (Matthew 24:36). Therefore, Driscoll points out that all these people who claim they have figured out the exact day that Christ will return are bogus, but He will return, and when He does it will be to judge every person who has ever lived. Those that accepted His gift of atonement for their sins, will spend eternity in Heaven with Him, while those who did not accept His redemptive Grace will spend eternity in Hell apart from Him! If that doesn’t make those of us who are Believers want to share the Gospel with everyone we have the opportunity to share it with, I don’t know what will!
To conclude, I can easily recommend this book to just about anyone who wants to learn more about Jesus. Whether you are an inquisitive agnostic or a person who has been a Christian for more than 20 years, I guarantee you will learn something from Mark Driscoll’s incredibly well researched testament to Jesus Christ, the man who was sent by God to save our souls!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Jesus offers forgiveness and cleansing for the scar of sin on our lives!
Our sins have consequences. It’s true, sometimes we don’t see the effects of our sin right away, but they do have consequences. That concept of sin causing problems and scarring in our lives if you will, is one of the themes that is discussed by John Rzeznik lead vocalist and songwriter for the Goo Goo Dolls in their 1995 smash hit “Name.” The lyrics from the second verse have a lot for us to unpack as far as Christian concepts:
“Scars are souvenirs you never lose,
The past is never far,
Don’t it make you sad to know that life,
Is more than who we are.”
Let’s take the first example about scars being ‘souvenirs you never lose.’ Sometimes Satan makes it so easy for us to think we know better than God when it comes to what is best for us. Thus, we decide that acts which God calls sinful really aren’t sins for us, and that we should act on what we feel and tell God that we know better than Him and we aren’t going to listen to what He says in His Word about how we should live. When this happens it so often times turns out that we realize that God was right and we were wrong. This is why the Apostle Paul warned us concerning sin in Galatians 6:7-8 “Don’t be misled. Remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow! Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” (NLT)
The concept of reaping what we sow fits well with the concept of sin ‘scarring’ us in a sense that we can’t forget sin. The Holy Spirit will always convict us about such matters, and that conviction, if unacknowledged will lead to scarring. Paul calls that producing a harvest of “decay and death” which is really not a pretty picture! However, what I love about this passage of scripture is that it ends with an encouraging remark. If we live our lives to please the Lord, we will harvest ‘everlasting life from the Spirit!” That to me is very encouraging and exciting! Don’t get me wrong living our lives to please God is not easy! In fact it is very hard, but there is a promise of a reward attached if we do this!
The second part of the stanza here is also interesting to delve into. I find it perplexing that Rzeznik considers it sad to know that life is ‘more than who we are.’ Then again in a culture that is obsessed with selfish and egocentric behavior among our most famous celebrities, it shouldn’t surprise that an unbelieving world would not want to face the fact that life is not about us! But there couldn’t be a more accurate statement made, and it once again lines up with truth in the Bible.
In Colossians 3:2 Paul writes: “Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth.” That’s right, friends, we as Believers are not supposed to dwell too much on the distractions that demand our attention down here on earth, that are often futile efforts to build ourselves up! We often forget that life is so much more than what is currently going on in our lives. Whether it is good or bad, it is important to keep in mind Paul’s words about our thought life. God doesn’t want us to be consumed with ourselves down here on earth. He wants us to mindful of Heaven, and that in my view means a couple of things. One it means to have a longing for Heaven and the paradise that is awaiting us after our lives here on earth are complete. However, it also means to keep our minds on the things that matter to God. It means we can’t be selfish but instead be servants like Paul wrote in Philippians 2:3-4.
The concept of being able to focus outside of ourselves can be hampered as well by falling into sin cycles that can plunge us into despair. As “Name” continues into it’s next stanza Rzeznik addresses this in a unique way:
“You grew up way too fast,
Now there’s nothing to believe,
And reruns all become our history
A tired song keeps playing on a tired radio
And I won’t tell no one your name.”
This concept of ‘reruns becoming our history and ‘a tired song’ playing on a ‘tired radio’ all conjure up images to me of a cycle of behavior to me, behavior that the song’s story teller seems to desperately want to get out of but is unsure of how to. Sin can be like that quite often. The first taste is often sweet and pleasurable, enticing us to want more, which leads to us continuing in that sin, until we are so hooked we don’t know how to even begin getting out.
Sexual sin is especially this way, because it feels good in the moment, but barring the Holy Spirit is present in our hearts to convict us, it leaves us feeling hollow and empty later. Yet when the temptation arises again, it can be easy to jump right back into the same behavior all over again, because we as humans become easily addicted to things that makes us feel good. I think this is why Jesus told us that ‘the highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.” (Matthew 7:13b-14 NLT). Being a Christian is hard folks, plain and simple. However, as Christians, we have the ability to ask God for help in fighting Satan’s temptations and He will help us. As Paul writes in Titus 2:11-12 ”For the Grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "no" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self controlled, upright and Godly lives in this present age."
Think about that, God’s gift of Salvation helps us to say no to sin! The Holy Spirit within each and every one of us gives us that power, but we need to ask Him for help! God is a faithful God and Jesus promised that He will give us anything that we ask of Him, if it is in His plan for our lives (John 14:13-14). Friends, sin does leave scars on our lives, but you need to know that God can cleanse us from0 those scars left by our sin! Oh don’t get me wrong some sins are going to leave a mark on us for a time, but in God’s eyes if we have asked Him for forgiveness, that sin is no longer remembered by Him (1 John 1:9). So since God has forgiven us, often times we then need to be able to forgive ourselves, and ask forgiveness of those who we have hurt by our sin. These things will take time, but once we have invited God into the process, true healing can begin
“Scars are souvenirs you never lose,
The past is never far,
Don’t it make you sad to know that life,
Is more than who we are.”
Let’s take the first example about scars being ‘souvenirs you never lose.’ Sometimes Satan makes it so easy for us to think we know better than God when it comes to what is best for us. Thus, we decide that acts which God calls sinful really aren’t sins for us, and that we should act on what we feel and tell God that we know better than Him and we aren’t going to listen to what He says in His Word about how we should live. When this happens it so often times turns out that we realize that God was right and we were wrong. This is why the Apostle Paul warned us concerning sin in Galatians 6:7-8 “Don’t be misled. Remember that you can’t ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow! Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” (NLT)
The concept of reaping what we sow fits well with the concept of sin ‘scarring’ us in a sense that we can’t forget sin. The Holy Spirit will always convict us about such matters, and that conviction, if unacknowledged will lead to scarring. Paul calls that producing a harvest of “decay and death” which is really not a pretty picture! However, what I love about this passage of scripture is that it ends with an encouraging remark. If we live our lives to please the Lord, we will harvest ‘everlasting life from the Spirit!” That to me is very encouraging and exciting! Don’t get me wrong living our lives to please God is not easy! In fact it is very hard, but there is a promise of a reward attached if we do this!
The second part of the stanza here is also interesting to delve into. I find it perplexing that Rzeznik considers it sad to know that life is ‘more than who we are.’ Then again in a culture that is obsessed with selfish and egocentric behavior among our most famous celebrities, it shouldn’t surprise that an unbelieving world would not want to face the fact that life is not about us! But there couldn’t be a more accurate statement made, and it once again lines up with truth in the Bible.
In Colossians 3:2 Paul writes: “Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth.” That’s right, friends, we as Believers are not supposed to dwell too much on the distractions that demand our attention down here on earth, that are often futile efforts to build ourselves up! We often forget that life is so much more than what is currently going on in our lives. Whether it is good or bad, it is important to keep in mind Paul’s words about our thought life. God doesn’t want us to be consumed with ourselves down here on earth. He wants us to mindful of Heaven, and that in my view means a couple of things. One it means to have a longing for Heaven and the paradise that is awaiting us after our lives here on earth are complete. However, it also means to keep our minds on the things that matter to God. It means we can’t be selfish but instead be servants like Paul wrote in Philippians 2:3-4.
The concept of being able to focus outside of ourselves can be hampered as well by falling into sin cycles that can plunge us into despair. As “Name” continues into it’s next stanza Rzeznik addresses this in a unique way:
“You grew up way too fast,
Now there’s nothing to believe,
And reruns all become our history
A tired song keeps playing on a tired radio
And I won’t tell no one your name.”
This concept of ‘reruns becoming our history and ‘a tired song’ playing on a ‘tired radio’ all conjure up images to me of a cycle of behavior to me, behavior that the song’s story teller seems to desperately want to get out of but is unsure of how to. Sin can be like that quite often. The first taste is often sweet and pleasurable, enticing us to want more, which leads to us continuing in that sin, until we are so hooked we don’t know how to even begin getting out.
Sexual sin is especially this way, because it feels good in the moment, but barring the Holy Spirit is present in our hearts to convict us, it leaves us feeling hollow and empty later. Yet when the temptation arises again, it can be easy to jump right back into the same behavior all over again, because we as humans become easily addicted to things that makes us feel good. I think this is why Jesus told us that ‘the highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.” (Matthew 7:13b-14 NLT). Being a Christian is hard folks, plain and simple. However, as Christians, we have the ability to ask God for help in fighting Satan’s temptations and He will help us. As Paul writes in Titus 2:11-12 ”For the Grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "no" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self controlled, upright and Godly lives in this present age."
Think about that, God’s gift of Salvation helps us to say no to sin! The Holy Spirit within each and every one of us gives us that power, but we need to ask Him for help! God is a faithful God and Jesus promised that He will give us anything that we ask of Him, if it is in His plan for our lives (John 14:13-14). Friends, sin does leave scars on our lives, but you need to know that God can cleanse us from0 those scars left by our sin! Oh don’t get me wrong some sins are going to leave a mark on us for a time, but in God’s eyes if we have asked Him for forgiveness, that sin is no longer remembered by Him (1 John 1:9). So since God has forgiven us, often times we then need to be able to forgive ourselves, and ask forgiveness of those who we have hurt by our sin. These things will take time, but once we have invited God into the process, true healing can begin
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Journeys Are Sometimes Necessary In Order For God To Teach Us Lessons
Life is a journey friends, and it only moves forward. We can’t go back once a moment has passed. Singer Anna Nalick once wrote in her hit single “Breathe (2 AM)” that ‘life’s like an hourglass glued to the table’ and it is true! Therefore, as believers we should try to make each and every moment count. The Apostle Paul tells us this in Colossians when he wrote “Live wisely among those who are not Christians, and make the most of every opportunity” (4:5 NLT). See every moment spent in this life is important to God, especially those moments we spend around those who are not Believers, and we need to keep that in mind.
Sometimes God takes us on a specific journey to teach us some things about life as well. Many of us have heard stories of people who took time off from work and the minutiae of everyday life to seek God and hear from Him. In some ways this is true of Brett, Martine, and Gordy, three travelers who run into each other by accident on journey across Post Hurricane Katrina Louisiana in the movie “The Yellow Handkerchief.”
As the movie progresses along, we learn about each character and how they are on a specific “journey” in their lives. For Gordy, he is traveling across America searching for what it means to be a man, because his own father abandoned him when he was young. Martine, is a young 15-year-old girl, who suffers from a poor relationship with her father, and thus has looked for meaning in sexual relationships with boys from in her small town school. Brett, meanwhile is fresh out of spending six years behind bars, and on a journey to possibly reconnect with his estranged wife, though he isn’t ultimately sure if he will be able to do that or not, or if she will even take him back if he does find her.
As the story progresses these three characters that had planned to travel with each other for one day keep being brought back together through various circumstance. They also begin to learn lessons. Early on in the movie, young Gordy tells Martine that he is incredibly attracted to her and that he would like to kiss her. This scene occurs while the three of them or in a hotel, stranded because of a heavy rainstorm. Martine, who we have already been told has been taken advantage of before, agrees to allow Gordy to kiss her. However, when he kisses her passionately and begins to climb on top of her she screams and stops him, leading Brett, who had been in the bathroom, to separate the two of them for the evening.
The next day Brett quietly remarks to Gordy, that girls need to be romanced and that they don’t want to simply jump into bed with a guy. While, this certainly should have included Brett telling Gordy that sex is meant for marriage exclusively, there is still some Biblical truth in Brett’s statement. In Song of Solomon 2:3-5 the women in the poem writes “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love. Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love” (NIV). Hmmm. Banquet halls and being feed raisins and apples,(sweet foods back then) sounds a lot like dinner and chocolate nowadays perhaps? The point being the Bible tells us that a woman values a man who pursues her by romancing her and winning her heart. This in some ways is the truth Brett is telling young Gordy.
Brett meanwhile is battling a dark secret from his past. He was in jail for manslaughter, and though the death that resulted from an accident that he contributed too, there is no way that it was really his fault. Yet, Brett deep down can’t forgive himself, which I think is a predicament many of us might confess is something we struggle with all the time. When we mess up, it is so easy to beat on ourselves for days, weeks, or even years! Even if we have confessed this sin before God and man, we can still harbor anger at ourselves for mistakes we made years earlier.
The good news though friends, is that God doesn’t want us to be bound by our past mistakes. That is why he sent Jesus into the world, to die for that sin, so that we could walk I freedom. Paul writes in Ephesians 1:7 “In Christ we have redemption and forgiveness of sins.” Think about that word ‘redemption’ for a second. Dictionary.com defines it as ‘deliverance or rescue’ and ‘atonement for guilt.’ That means we are no longer guilty in God’s eyes of for those sins. It is as if they never happened! Now don’t get me wrong in this life the effects of some sins can continue to be viewable in our daily lives, but God doesn’t want us to view ourselves as un-forgiven. He wants us to move on and allow Him to use us for His glory again!
David wrote in Psalm 130:7 “O Israel, hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is unfailing love and an overflowing supply of salvation.” From this verse, I think we can conclude that God demonstrates that ‘unfailing love’ for us through His gift of salvation, and I can’t believer he wants us to take that love he has for us and basically say ‘I know you’ve forgiven me, but I can’t forgive myself.” You see in the end, how God views us is what matters, not how we view ourselves!
As Brett progresses in his journey, he begins to realize that maybe he can forgive himself, and decides to take a chance, with encouragement from Gordy and Martine, to walk out that newfound self-forgiveness. The ending brings about the importance of romance that Brett told Gordy about to full circle, and leaves us as an audience seeing firsthand what a newly forgiven person looks like! While it may not specifically reference God in this movie, God is ultimately the author of the greatest story about Redemption, and it is neat to see earthly examples of this in Hollywood movies!
Sometimes God takes us on a specific journey to teach us some things about life as well. Many of us have heard stories of people who took time off from work and the minutiae of everyday life to seek God and hear from Him. In some ways this is true of Brett, Martine, and Gordy, three travelers who run into each other by accident on journey across Post Hurricane Katrina Louisiana in the movie “The Yellow Handkerchief.”
As the movie progresses along, we learn about each character and how they are on a specific “journey” in their lives. For Gordy, he is traveling across America searching for what it means to be a man, because his own father abandoned him when he was young. Martine, is a young 15-year-old girl, who suffers from a poor relationship with her father, and thus has looked for meaning in sexual relationships with boys from in her small town school. Brett, meanwhile is fresh out of spending six years behind bars, and on a journey to possibly reconnect with his estranged wife, though he isn’t ultimately sure if he will be able to do that or not, or if she will even take him back if he does find her.
As the story progresses these three characters that had planned to travel with each other for one day keep being brought back together through various circumstance. They also begin to learn lessons. Early on in the movie, young Gordy tells Martine that he is incredibly attracted to her and that he would like to kiss her. This scene occurs while the three of them or in a hotel, stranded because of a heavy rainstorm. Martine, who we have already been told has been taken advantage of before, agrees to allow Gordy to kiss her. However, when he kisses her passionately and begins to climb on top of her she screams and stops him, leading Brett, who had been in the bathroom, to separate the two of them for the evening.
The next day Brett quietly remarks to Gordy, that girls need to be romanced and that they don’t want to simply jump into bed with a guy. While, this certainly should have included Brett telling Gordy that sex is meant for marriage exclusively, there is still some Biblical truth in Brett’s statement. In Song of Solomon 2:3-5 the women in the poem writes “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men. I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste. He has taken me to the banquet hall, and his banner over me is love. Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love” (NIV). Hmmm. Banquet halls and being feed raisins and apples,(sweet foods back then) sounds a lot like dinner and chocolate nowadays perhaps? The point being the Bible tells us that a woman values a man who pursues her by romancing her and winning her heart. This in some ways is the truth Brett is telling young Gordy.
Brett meanwhile is battling a dark secret from his past. He was in jail for manslaughter, and though the death that resulted from an accident that he contributed too, there is no way that it was really his fault. Yet, Brett deep down can’t forgive himself, which I think is a predicament many of us might confess is something we struggle with all the time. When we mess up, it is so easy to beat on ourselves for days, weeks, or even years! Even if we have confessed this sin before God and man, we can still harbor anger at ourselves for mistakes we made years earlier.
The good news though friends, is that God doesn’t want us to be bound by our past mistakes. That is why he sent Jesus into the world, to die for that sin, so that we could walk I freedom. Paul writes in Ephesians 1:7 “In Christ we have redemption and forgiveness of sins.” Think about that word ‘redemption’ for a second. Dictionary.com defines it as ‘deliverance or rescue’ and ‘atonement for guilt.’ That means we are no longer guilty in God’s eyes of for those sins. It is as if they never happened! Now don’t get me wrong in this life the effects of some sins can continue to be viewable in our daily lives, but God doesn’t want us to view ourselves as un-forgiven. He wants us to move on and allow Him to use us for His glory again!
David wrote in Psalm 130:7 “O Israel, hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is unfailing love and an overflowing supply of salvation.” From this verse, I think we can conclude that God demonstrates that ‘unfailing love’ for us through His gift of salvation, and I can’t believer he wants us to take that love he has for us and basically say ‘I know you’ve forgiven me, but I can’t forgive myself.” You see in the end, how God views us is what matters, not how we view ourselves!
As Brett progresses in his journey, he begins to realize that maybe he can forgive himself, and decides to take a chance, with encouragement from Gordy and Martine, to walk out that newfound self-forgiveness. The ending brings about the importance of romance that Brett told Gordy about to full circle, and leaves us as an audience seeing firsthand what a newly forgiven person looks like! While it may not specifically reference God in this movie, God is ultimately the author of the greatest story about Redemption, and it is neat to see earthly examples of this in Hollywood movies!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Honoring You Father and Mother is a command, not an option!
"Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God will give you.” (Exodus 20:12 NLT)
Many of you will recognize this passage of scripture as being the fifth commandment in the list of the Ten Commandments God gave the Israelites after He freed them from being slaves in Egypt. From a young age, I have always been struck by this commandment! For one matter, it is the only commandment of the ten that has a promise attached to it, basically meaning that if we obey God in this commandment, He will bless our lives by giving us a long life. While it could be argued that He was specifically addressing the nation of Israel, I believe he still desires that we honor our parents as well. I will address this more later, by discussing a few other passages in the Bible on the matter of the relationship between children and parents.
I have always been passionate about this topic. I have been blessed to have been raised in a Christian home with parents who I always trusted and believed had what was best for me at the heart of their decisions and rules. Yet, in our culture today, I see more and more disrespect for parents and general authority figures, and it grieves and angers me terribly. Most recently this topic of respect for one’s parents and the authority they have been given by God (Ephesians 6) came up while watching my favorite current prime time TV series “Parenthood.”
This series tells the story of four grown children and their emerging families. All four children are parents, and they still spend time learning from and hanging out at their own parents home. The oldest son is Adam, and he and his wife Kristina have two children, Haddie and Max. Over the course of three episodes (“Opening Night,” “A House Divided” and “Just Go Home”) that aired this past February on NBC, Haddie becomes upset and angry with her parents over their decision to not allow her to date Alex, a young man who is four years older than her and comes from a troubled past. This leads her to sneaking around so she can see Alex, which ultimately leads to her getting caught by Adam and Kristina. Her parents ground her, and even take the door off of her bedroom, stating that she has broken their trust, so she needs to earn back her right to privacy. This then leads to Haddie running away from home and moving in with Adam’s parents (her grandparents) for a while. Naturally this leads to a rift between Adam and Kristina and Adam’s parents.
Looking at this fictitious example of a how one child’s rebellion against her parents can cause so many relational problems leads me to believe this is why God has spoken so much about the importance of children honoring their parents. For example, in Proverbs 23:25 Solomon writes “So give your parents joy! May she who gave you birth be happy” (NLT). Think about that, as children we are to bring joy into our parent’s lives. Other translations say let your father and mother “be glad” about you. I don’t think that part of making your parents glad about you involves not trusting them enough to believe they know what is best for you. It is important to remember that wisdom comes with age (Job 32:7), therefore we should trust that our parents are wiser than we are.
Paul also speaks about children’s relationship with parents on two occasions. First is that we are to obey our parents because it pleases the Lord (Ephesians 6:1) and secondly, that disobeying our parents is a sin (Romans 1:30). I realize that not all of you who read this have had the privilege of being raised in a Christian home by Christian parents. However, I believe God still desires that you honor your parents whether or not they are Believers. The only exception that I can see to this rule is if you parents would tell you to do something that is openly sinful. It is important to know that while your parents may not be Believers they still have lived longer than you and therefore can still have that “wisdom that comes with age” that Job talks about.
To be fair though, Paul also addresses the responsibility that parents have to their children. In the same chapter of Ephesians where Paul commands that children obey their parents he also says this to Fathers specifically: “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4 NIV). This is pretty clear to me that while we as children have a big responsibility to follow God’s command of obeying and honoring our parents, our fathers have even bigger responsibility in this matter. They are commanded not to anger or exasperate us as their children, but to bring us up so that we learn to honor God. That is huge responsibility, because let’s face it our fathers are under a lot of pressure, and they will blow it sometimes, but that is where we must extend them grace.
As for our mothers, Proverbs talks about how our mothers are to be honored for serving the Lord “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her” (Proverbs 31:27-28 NIV). That’s right, as children we are to call our mothers blessed and be a blessing to her. A Godly mother and wife will work hard for her family. This is in my opinion one of the gifts God gives to a woman. Women are more relational than we men are, and therefore the ability to manage and maintain a household comes more naturally to a woman than a man. While God calls me to be leaders of their household, He gives the gift of running and maintaining the everyday parts of life to come more naturally to a woman. Therefore because of gifts God gives to both our mothers and fathers, we are to honor and respect both of our parents.
Let me also say that the Bible never seems to say that once we turn 18, we no longer have to honor our parents. That however, seems to be a common thought in America today, where we are considered adults on our 18th birthday, and thus freed from parental authority. Unfortunately, I have seen this thought process creep into the Church at times, and it is rather disturbing, as I see no Biblical backing for this belief. Don’t get me wrong the Bible does talk about children growing up and moving out from under their parents roof (Genesis 2: 24), but it never says that we no longer need to honor and respect our parents after we move out, or become legally adults.
As Haddie’s grandmother ultimately said to her while she was staying with her, and away from her parents, “honey you need to just go home!” It didn’t matter whether or not she agreed with her parents or not, she belonged living in their house and honoring their decisions, even if she didn’t agree!
Many of you will recognize this passage of scripture as being the fifth commandment in the list of the Ten Commandments God gave the Israelites after He freed them from being slaves in Egypt. From a young age, I have always been struck by this commandment! For one matter, it is the only commandment of the ten that has a promise attached to it, basically meaning that if we obey God in this commandment, He will bless our lives by giving us a long life. While it could be argued that He was specifically addressing the nation of Israel, I believe he still desires that we honor our parents as well. I will address this more later, by discussing a few other passages in the Bible on the matter of the relationship between children and parents.
I have always been passionate about this topic. I have been blessed to have been raised in a Christian home with parents who I always trusted and believed had what was best for me at the heart of their decisions and rules. Yet, in our culture today, I see more and more disrespect for parents and general authority figures, and it grieves and angers me terribly. Most recently this topic of respect for one’s parents and the authority they have been given by God (Ephesians 6) came up while watching my favorite current prime time TV series “Parenthood.”
This series tells the story of four grown children and their emerging families. All four children are parents, and they still spend time learning from and hanging out at their own parents home. The oldest son is Adam, and he and his wife Kristina have two children, Haddie and Max. Over the course of three episodes (“Opening Night,” “A House Divided” and “Just Go Home”) that aired this past February on NBC, Haddie becomes upset and angry with her parents over their decision to not allow her to date Alex, a young man who is four years older than her and comes from a troubled past. This leads her to sneaking around so she can see Alex, which ultimately leads to her getting caught by Adam and Kristina. Her parents ground her, and even take the door off of her bedroom, stating that she has broken their trust, so she needs to earn back her right to privacy. This then leads to Haddie running away from home and moving in with Adam’s parents (her grandparents) for a while. Naturally this leads to a rift between Adam and Kristina and Adam’s parents.
Looking at this fictitious example of a how one child’s rebellion against her parents can cause so many relational problems leads me to believe this is why God has spoken so much about the importance of children honoring their parents. For example, in Proverbs 23:25 Solomon writes “So give your parents joy! May she who gave you birth be happy” (NLT). Think about that, as children we are to bring joy into our parent’s lives. Other translations say let your father and mother “be glad” about you. I don’t think that part of making your parents glad about you involves not trusting them enough to believe they know what is best for you. It is important to remember that wisdom comes with age (Job 32:7), therefore we should trust that our parents are wiser than we are.
Paul also speaks about children’s relationship with parents on two occasions. First is that we are to obey our parents because it pleases the Lord (Ephesians 6:1) and secondly, that disobeying our parents is a sin (Romans 1:30). I realize that not all of you who read this have had the privilege of being raised in a Christian home by Christian parents. However, I believe God still desires that you honor your parents whether or not they are Believers. The only exception that I can see to this rule is if you parents would tell you to do something that is openly sinful. It is important to know that while your parents may not be Believers they still have lived longer than you and therefore can still have that “wisdom that comes with age” that Job talks about.
To be fair though, Paul also addresses the responsibility that parents have to their children. In the same chapter of Ephesians where Paul commands that children obey their parents he also says this to Fathers specifically: “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4 NIV). This is pretty clear to me that while we as children have a big responsibility to follow God’s command of obeying and honoring our parents, our fathers have even bigger responsibility in this matter. They are commanded not to anger or exasperate us as their children, but to bring us up so that we learn to honor God. That is huge responsibility, because let’s face it our fathers are under a lot of pressure, and they will blow it sometimes, but that is where we must extend them grace.
As for our mothers, Proverbs talks about how our mothers are to be honored for serving the Lord “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her” (Proverbs 31:27-28 NIV). That’s right, as children we are to call our mothers blessed and be a blessing to her. A Godly mother and wife will work hard for her family. This is in my opinion one of the gifts God gives to a woman. Women are more relational than we men are, and therefore the ability to manage and maintain a household comes more naturally to a woman than a man. While God calls me to be leaders of their household, He gives the gift of running and maintaining the everyday parts of life to come more naturally to a woman. Therefore because of gifts God gives to both our mothers and fathers, we are to honor and respect both of our parents.
Let me also say that the Bible never seems to say that once we turn 18, we no longer have to honor our parents. That however, seems to be a common thought in America today, where we are considered adults on our 18th birthday, and thus freed from parental authority. Unfortunately, I have seen this thought process creep into the Church at times, and it is rather disturbing, as I see no Biblical backing for this belief. Don’t get me wrong the Bible does talk about children growing up and moving out from under their parents roof (Genesis 2: 24), but it never says that we no longer need to honor and respect our parents after we move out, or become legally adults.
As Haddie’s grandmother ultimately said to her while she was staying with her, and away from her parents, “honey you need to just go home!” It didn’t matter whether or not she agreed with her parents or not, she belonged living in their house and honoring their decisions, even if she didn’t agree!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
We must not put our hope in people, but instead put our hope in the Lord
Have you ever thought back to your childhood and how you used to have such a vivid imagination and longed to simply spend summer afternoons outside playing in your backyard until it got dark? I don’t know about you but I miss the innocence of my childhood immensely sometimes, before I knew how much darkness and cruelty there is in the world around us. That innocence is written about quite nicely in “Toy Soldiers,” Carbon Leaf’s 2002 masterpiece that appeared on their equally perfect album “Echo Echo.”
As the song begins we find the protagonist falling asleep and dreaming about his childhood:
“I fell asleep in my writing chair
I dreamt I'd found my childhood stare
To family dinner Christmas night
We'd cross the river shipyard lights
Before the heartbreak and unknown.”
You see he is dreaming about Christmas time with his family and the joy he felt ‘before the heartbreak and unknown.” That is a special time in our lives and it is a time that I believe God gives us when we are children as a gift. As children we sometimes find it easier to apply the words of David in Psalm 37:4 “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.” As children it is much easier to have the joy of the Lord because we look around and primarily see the good in the world. I realize this is unfortunately not the case for some children, as tragedy like death, divorce and financial discord can strike in any family when children are young, but for many of us, we have grown up blessed with that special innocence and joy. I know that despite the fact that I was a very shy young man, I had joy most of my formative years.
In Matthew chapter 19, Jesus’ disciples try to keep parents from bringing their children to Him for blessing, but Jesus rebukes them saying “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom Of Heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14). Think about that statement for a minute, commentators have said this means that if we approach Jesus with a childlike faith that He can do anything and He is God, Jesus will bless that faith. Because we live in a cynical world, this kind of ‘childlike faith’ that David also talks about in Psalm 116:6 is harder and harder to maintain, but it is an essential part of faith as Christians. We serve big God, who is capable of anything, and I know I sometimes forget that myself!
As the song progresses we find the protagonist making a statement that reflects a loss of childlike faith, while finding him longing to get that kind of faith back once again:
“We find the people of our dreams
We find that they're not what they seem
I've learned that people come and go
I've learned that families break and grow”
Don’t we all often find that things like people, jobs, and sports teams often don’t fulfill us the way we thought? We think that we have that dream job, or can cheer on championship sports team, or have met our dream girl or guy? Yet all of those things and people are living in a fallen world with us, and therefore are going to let us down. That is why Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 4:8 “There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. "For whom am I toiling," he asked, "and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?" This too is meaningless— a miserable business!” (NIV). In this instance the man is alone with no family, but he still has worked hard and earned great wealth, yet he is not content Solomon tells us. In achieving his wealth it appears that he forgo any family or friendships, which ultimately leads to despair according to Solomon. Solomon then goes on to say “Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning.” (v. 4:13).
Jesus warned us by asking in Luke 9:25 "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? (NKJV). You see if we don’t have material wealth but are wise and know that we should seek the Lord in everything we are richer than a King who has everything but will one day die and be able to take none of it with him! That in some ways is what Carbon Leaf are saying by writing about how people, jobs and families let us down.
If this is true then, how are we supposed to have any kind of hope, joy or faith like a child that both David and Jesus have stated is so important? Well, David gave us some great advice in Psalm 33 for starters. He writes in verse 20-22”We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.”
See friends, anything in this world is going to let us down at some point. I say that with a firm hold on my diehard optimist card. The reason for this is the fact that there are, as Paul wrote “mighty powers of darkness who rule this world” (Ephesians 6:12b). When you keep in mind this fact, that Satan and his demons are active in our world with the goal of causing us pain and wrecking havoc on our families and friends, it is easy to see why people will ultimately let us down. That is why we must not put our hope in people, but in the Lord alone! His love is as David wrote an ‘unfailing love’ that we can trust in, no matter what comes our way in life. We won’t always feel that love, but we can confidently know that His love is always there, no matter what!
As the song begins we find the protagonist falling asleep and dreaming about his childhood:
“I fell asleep in my writing chair
I dreamt I'd found my childhood stare
To family dinner Christmas night
We'd cross the river shipyard lights
Before the heartbreak and unknown.”
You see he is dreaming about Christmas time with his family and the joy he felt ‘before the heartbreak and unknown.” That is a special time in our lives and it is a time that I believe God gives us when we are children as a gift. As children we sometimes find it easier to apply the words of David in Psalm 37:4 “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.” As children it is much easier to have the joy of the Lord because we look around and primarily see the good in the world. I realize this is unfortunately not the case for some children, as tragedy like death, divorce and financial discord can strike in any family when children are young, but for many of us, we have grown up blessed with that special innocence and joy. I know that despite the fact that I was a very shy young man, I had joy most of my formative years.
In Matthew chapter 19, Jesus’ disciples try to keep parents from bringing their children to Him for blessing, but Jesus rebukes them saying “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom Of Heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14). Think about that statement for a minute, commentators have said this means that if we approach Jesus with a childlike faith that He can do anything and He is God, Jesus will bless that faith. Because we live in a cynical world, this kind of ‘childlike faith’ that David also talks about in Psalm 116:6 is harder and harder to maintain, but it is an essential part of faith as Christians. We serve big God, who is capable of anything, and I know I sometimes forget that myself!
As the song progresses we find the protagonist making a statement that reflects a loss of childlike faith, while finding him longing to get that kind of faith back once again:
“We find the people of our dreams
We find that they're not what they seem
I've learned that people come and go
I've learned that families break and grow”
Don’t we all often find that things like people, jobs, and sports teams often don’t fulfill us the way we thought? We think that we have that dream job, or can cheer on championship sports team, or have met our dream girl or guy? Yet all of those things and people are living in a fallen world with us, and therefore are going to let us down. That is why Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 4:8 “There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth. "For whom am I toiling," he asked, "and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?" This too is meaningless— a miserable business!” (NIV). In this instance the man is alone with no family, but he still has worked hard and earned great wealth, yet he is not content Solomon tells us. In achieving his wealth it appears that he forgo any family or friendships, which ultimately leads to despair according to Solomon. Solomon then goes on to say “Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning.” (v. 4:13).
Jesus warned us by asking in Luke 9:25 "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? (NKJV). You see if we don’t have material wealth but are wise and know that we should seek the Lord in everything we are richer than a King who has everything but will one day die and be able to take none of it with him! That in some ways is what Carbon Leaf are saying by writing about how people, jobs and families let us down.
If this is true then, how are we supposed to have any kind of hope, joy or faith like a child that both David and Jesus have stated is so important? Well, David gave us some great advice in Psalm 33 for starters. He writes in verse 20-22”We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.”
See friends, anything in this world is going to let us down at some point. I say that with a firm hold on my diehard optimist card. The reason for this is the fact that there are, as Paul wrote “mighty powers of darkness who rule this world” (Ephesians 6:12b). When you keep in mind this fact, that Satan and his demons are active in our world with the goal of causing us pain and wrecking havoc on our families and friends, it is easy to see why people will ultimately let us down. That is why we must not put our hope in people, but in the Lord alone! His love is as David wrote an ‘unfailing love’ that we can trust in, no matter what comes our way in life. We won’t always feel that love, but we can confidently know that His love is always there, no matter what!
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