"Let Us Make Man in Our Image..."

     If you have seen my Facebook profile page you will see under the "people I admire", question I put out the names of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, C.S. Lewis, Francis Schaffer, and Philip Yancey. Though each of these were born and died (except for Yancey as he is very much alive) years apart from another (Bonhoeffer and Lewis are closest in birthdays but not in death. Bonhoeffer died in 1945, Lewis died in 1963. In fact Lewis died on the same day as the Kennedy was assassinated, Schaeffer died in 1984, and as mentioned Yancey is still alive)  There are many reasons I admire these particular man.  All of them were/are Bible believing and God growing Christians and it showed in everything that they did/are doing. All of them were/are writers.All of them were at some point in their lives chastised by the Church (except for Lewis. His main opposition came from his fellow professors. However, Lewis in fact did not really like going to church. He especially disliked singing hymns!). I am not sure Yancey has spent much of his life ministering to children, but the others at one time or another spent a considerable amount of time with youth and children. Bonhoeffer actually believed that if you couldn't explain the Gospel to children and youth you probably would have trouble explaining it to anyone else.  During WW 2 Lewis and his brother had a small group of children live with them during the bombing raids in London. He had a soft heart for a Downs Syndrome girl, and it was another little girl that sparked his writing the Chronicle of Narnia series. Shaeffer and his wife Edith started a children's Bible study material that is still used today.
     The one thing that to me is so admirable in each of their lives is that believed that all people were made in God's image and because of that all people are worthy of dignity. I think that is something that Christians have struggled with since the beginning of the Church. The ancient nation of Israel struggled with it too. It can be difficult seeing your enemies, or people that dislike you for really no good reason to see them as someone that is made in God's likeness.  But we seemingly have a very hard time loving people that are not Christians.
There are many that are frightened by the secular world and withdraw from it. Some just don't want to have much contact with others that do not believe in God like they do. In churches all over the U.S. we hear sermons or Sunday schools about "Godless people of the Democratic party and those that support them". Christian parents would never allow their kids go to a secular college or university because the faculty and many of the students are heathens. We just don't ever want to be tainted with the title of, "friend of sinners".
     It is a sad irony that that was one of the titles that the Jewish religious leaders gave to Jesus.  Of course it was not a complement. It was meant to demean and embarrass Jesus. It didn't as Jesus did not stop His ministry to "those nasty, Godless sinners!".
     I am getting a little long here so I will be writing more about this sometime next week. So until then have a good one!

The Battle for Souls & Eternity

Today we find ourselves in a war. It is a war that encompasses all the Earth and reaches into Heaven above and Hell below. It is a war that you won't see on TV. You won't read about it in Time, USA Today, U.S. News and World Report, or any other newspaper or magazine. You won't hear about it on the radio talk shows of the day. This war is the longest war in human history, but you won't find it in any history book. This war is not even talked about much in our churches. But it is out there.
The moment you were born you were drafted. Today you are a soldier whether you know it or not. There are only two sides in this war. As people we have chosen which side we are on. As soldiers we fight for its cause.
Every day we see the toll it has taken on the Earth. We see it in our world through the eyes of dying children of the Sudan. We see it in the human abuses in China and Cuba. We see it in the murders in the streets of Mexico. We see it in the sex slave trade of woman, girls, and boys in India and the Orient. We see it in the deserts of the Middle East. And we see it here in the United States of America. Or do we?
We see it, but I'm not sure we recognize it. Instead we like to call it the "culture war". We wring our hands and shake our heads when confronted with the possibility of "Under God" taken out of the pledge, or the 10 Commandments taken out of public buildings. We murmur and wonder in disbelief about gay marriage and gay pastors. We stand in lines to protest and shout at others about the abortion debate. We wonder if our children are being educated or brainwashed. We look in disgust at drug addicts and prostitutes. We cry for revenge and justice for a serial killer. Yes my friends we are in a war.
This is a spiritual war. In Ephesians 6:12 the Apostle Paul wrote, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." This war is over the souls of moms and dads, sisters and brothers, and other members of our families. This war is over the souls of the people we work with and play with. And this war is over the souls will go for eternity.

Obeying Jesus Out of Love

For many people the idea of becoming a Christian means that they would have to obey a lot of rules designed to put the brakes on all the fun life can dish out. In fact, when one truly understands who Jesus is and what He has done for us it is hard to understand sometimes why we continue to do the sinful things we do.
The greatest motivating factor in wanting to do the right thing, living a life that is known for good behavior if you will, is because of a loving, intimate relationship with someone. It's not because behavior associated with drunkenness, rebellion, drug addiction, pornography, etc. is illegal, immoral, or even the negative consequences of such behavior bring on. Instead it's because we don't want to disappoint someone, we don't want to break the heart of someone who genuinely loves us.
I would not have an affair because I would break my wife's heart. She loves me with all she has, with all her life. Why would I want to betray that?
But let us say that my wife, parents, teachers, coaches, pastors, or people I refer to as friends don't really love me? Where does that leave me? If no one cares for me and loves me than why should I care about any consequences of my negative behavior?
Because God cares and loves me no matter what I do (of course God accepts you for who you are, but loves you too much to let you stay that way). For those who know Him, know the lengths of which He has taken to show how deep His love for me is, why would I ever want to disappoint Him and break His heart? Jesus said, "If you love me, obey what I have taught you." In the light of Easter that doesn't sound like too much to ask for.

Encouragement to Keep Going

It is 10:05 a.m. this morning and I am sitting in a room with a bunch a 9th grade choir students. I am a substitute teacher, an adult with a pulse. That is what is needed and so here I am.
This is not my first substitute teaching opportunity. I have had many in the last couple of months. The money is pretty good and I don't have to extend a lot of energy, especially today as I am subing for only two hours.
I am looking at the clock and it's now 10:31 a.m. This is good for now class is half over. The students are nice and respectful for the most part, but I am a sub. There really is nothing to do except sit and make sure that no one is killing anyone else. I am thinking this is so boring and questioning is this what my life has become? Sitting in a high school choir class with nothing to do except babysit? Wow! What a life.
The class is now almost over and the student leader comes and asks if I will tell the other students that they need to pick up and put away their choir folders. She asks me because she doesn't think her peers will listen to her. So I ask them to pick up after themselves and generally speaking they do. The bells rings and I have one hour to go!
The bell tolls again and it is time for 4th period. The students shuffle in and stand in their appointed positions on the platform risers and after a little jostling, messing around, and some instructions the piano in the room stirs to life and the voices of this choir rise as one as they start practicing a song they will perform at a competition later in the spring.
I am sitting there in my chair enjoying myself. They are singing a song from Brahms and it has something to do with rising your voices to the Lord who sits on high (this by-the-way is in a secular high school).
They continue and all I can think is what a wonderful example of God loving me. Is being a substitute teacher a great job? Not really. Is it exciting. No, again I say no. Will I get rich? (Laugh with me). But as I am sitting there listening to the words I can't help but be thankful that God helps me to keep going.
I was blessed by God today and it wouldn't have happened if I had turned down the opportunity to sub today.

Who Do You Fear?

A couple of weeks ago me and two friends were talking and one of them brought up that it was a little weird to have cameras all over the church grounds the he goes to. He also said that when you enter the building you have to sign in at the front desk and get a visitors pass. On top of those things the school part of the building now has large fences that are always locked. All of these things that his church has done are for security reasons.
We live in an era of school, church, and university shootings. Because of this organizations spend a great deal of money to try and make sure that a shooting doesn't happen to them. We lived in Denver when the Columbine shootings took place. We had friends that were there that day, and had some girls from the school over to our apartment to make ribbons. Our eldest son was in kindergarten that day and the whole school that he attended was on lock down the whole day. We know first hand how tragic these things can be. And yet I wonder if the church should be different from other organizations when it comes to taking various security measures.
In Matthew 10:28 Jesus is speaking to his disciples as they are being sent out to preach and He says, "Don't fear those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in Hell." Jesus knew that he was sending His disciples into areas and to people that would be hostile to them because of what they were going to be preaching. Jesus was encouring them by saying in effect get your priorities in order: don't fear people becuse they can only do so much, but God can do much more.
We no longer live in the fear of God. The website Foundations for Freedom defines the fear of God as, ..."that awesome reverence of the Lord deriving from being sensitive to His glorious, holy, and majestic Person resulting in respect and obedience." I am not sure how many Christians have a proper fear of God and one of the ways it shows is by the way we try to make ourselves feel secure. We spend an enormous amount of money and time on home security, car security, airport security, and now church security. I do believe that this shows that we are more fearful of people and what they might do to us, than of who God is.
I am not suggesting that we post signs on the roads that go past our churches or homes that say, "Come on in and kill us", but isn't it time that we draw a line in the sand and witness to the people of our communities that we will not be fearful of someone who walks in with a gun and kills our bodies? The fact of the matter is if this happens we get to go to Heaven sooner than what we thought we might.
Why do we seemingly cling to this world so much? We who are Christians, who believe in the birth, perfect life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, have an eternal home in Heaven. We have a God that loves us and will never leave us high and dry. He forgives us of our sin, He has given us a planet that we can enjoy and a universe we can explore. He provides us with water, food, clothes, and the air we breath. He has provided salvation and a Heavenly home for us. What do we have to fear?
Oliver Cromwell said, "I've learned that when you fear God, you do not have any man to fear." The community of Amish believers in Pennsylvania that were tragically made the target of a man that went on a shooting rampage a couple of years ago is the best example of Cromwell's quote. They have taken no measures to make themselves feel more secure because they fear the Lord not people. The surrounding community and many other people outside of the community don't understand this. The Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania are being wittnesses to Cromwell's quote and Jesus' words. It's probably not easy for many of them, but they live without the security measures that we put too much faith in and the world has taken notice. We have a lot to learn from them.

Speeding into Sin

For Spring Break this year our family decided to go to North Carolina and visit friends. It was a very good vacation. It was busy, but I think we all got to spend some time with people that we spent so much time with when we lived there.
On the way down there, and then back home I was struck by how many people speed. I have noticed this before of course, but this time for some reason it really struck me as proof that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
There are signs posted all over the place as to what the speed limit is, and as Ted Koppel of ABC's Nightline once said about the Ten Commandments, "They are the Ten Commandments not the Ten Suggestions.". The same applies to speed limit signs, they are limits to how fast you can drive, not a speed suggestion. And yet so many people throw caution to the wind and drive much faster than what they should.
Of course there are those that know they are speeding and don't want to get caught so they buy police radar detectors. Then there are those that just don't care. But when a police car enters the scene it is amazing how many people don't even drive the speed limit, they drive a little under the speed limit.
What really amazes and saddens me is how many Christians speed. If there are people out there who should know better it's us. But I have seen many little fishes speed by just like everybody else.
I think our relationship to God (whether you actually know Him or not) and sin is a lot like speeding. There are some people that just don't care. They will cheat, lie, get drunk, do drugs, swear, steal, ect, ect. every single day and won't think anything of it. There are those people that will take a calculated risk at not getting caught at whatever activity they are involved in hoping they won't get caught. All these people are wanting is to get a little ahead, live a more exciting life, show that they are above accountability, "the rules don't apply to me!".
If you speed enough you will get caught and you will be held accountable. The faster you go they stiffer the consequence. Sin is just like that too. Though God sees sin as sin, no one sin greater than another, the consequences of some sin is greater than some others. God weeps over sin, and Satan just laughs. But even he will be held accountable one day, just as you will if you continue to speed.

Homesick for Heaven

O God, Dear God-
Thank you that you are my God. You are so great, mighty, and loving. I have no word elegant enough, no emotion deep enough, no thought pure enough, no action great enough to even begin to communicate how wonderful you are.
There are times when I feel so homesick. I long to be with you. I long to hear your voice speak to me. Will you say, "You are my son that I love. With you I am well pleased."?
I want to feel your arms enclosing around me. Then I will know what love, being warm, secure, and forgiven truly means.
When I see you what will I feel, what will I think? After all it was I that nailed you to the cross. It was I that spat on you. It was I that made fun of you, cursed you, pushed the thorns onto your head. It was I that made you bleed. You were shamed and humiliated. It was I that made you feel that way. It was I that drove the nails into you body and thrust the spear into your side. And then I tried to forget you.
You rose on Sunday, and though I tried to forget you, you remembered me. It was you who sought me out. It was you who opened my mind and touched my heart. It was you that wouldn't quit on me.
It was you that told me that you forgave me. When I heard, "I love you.", it was your voice. It was you who took my guilt and shame. It was you who took my broken and incomplete life and made it like new and complete. It was you that looked past what I looked like and into my soul and filled the empty spot.
And still I am not sure all you have done. You are so great, your ways are not mine. You are holy, and I am not. You are blameless, and I am sinful. Why you chose me I do not know, I do not understand. What is it that you see in me that makes me worthy of you?
I love you, and miss you. I want to see you, I want to touch you. I want to talk to you and sit by your side. I want to come home. I am homesick.