Opus 2026-286: Running Out of Cheeks, Part 3 of 5, Salute

Or consider Jesus talking calmly to the centurion in Matthew 8.  The centurion asks for help in healing his servant.  Does Jesus use this moment to reprimand the centurion?  No,

Matthew 8:13 (KJV) And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

For many people a centurion is a guy standing around in armor in a historical reinactment.  You need to understand that the centurion was the toughest of the tough.  He would have been the command sergeant major in a Navy Seal unit.  He would be the one that would get Rambo to back down.  Jesus ignored all that.

Then you have John the Baptist giving advice to the soldiers.  Did he tell them to turn in their swords and practice cheek turning?  No. 

(Luk 3:14 KJV)  And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

Then you have Peter accepting Cornelius who was also a centurion.  Did he demand that he embrace pacifism?  No.  

(Act 10:47-8 KJV)  Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

He baptized him and his family.  What you see is that these spiritual leaders did not condemn the soldiers or in any way indicate that they were out of line.

To be continued...

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Opus 2026-285: Running Out of Cheeks, Part 2 of 5, Go Figure

If we are to turn the other cheek at all times how do you explain Jesus cleansing the temple.  People try.  I have heard some great attempts.  When I was in seminary I wrote a paper about the time Jesus cleansed the temple and made the comment that Jesus got angry.  My professor went warp 9.  “Jesus did not get angry!”  I guess I was supposed to assume that He was quietly walking from table to table asking for permission to turn them over.  I have had people tell me that the whip He made was just to get the animals moving faster and HE used it gently.

How about Jesus telling the disciples to disciples to buy a sword.  People like to quote this verse from early in His ministry.

Luke 10:4 (KJV) Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.

That is fine but they seem to stop reading there.  Do they leave out the rest because they only know what someone taught them?  Do they ignore the rest because their mind is made up?  Later Jesus reminds them of this,

Luke 22:35 (KJV) And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.

Then we get to the twitchy part that no one wants to see:

Luke 22:36 (KJV) Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take [it], and likewise [his] scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.

Notice that the instructions have changed.  Why?  Because the situation has changed.  What get me here is that the scholars all seem to say He did not mean a literal sword.  I find that one of those convenient proclamations that are designed to back a person’s theological position rather than reflect what they are reading.  How do you interpret that figuratively?  

To be continued...

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Opus 2026-284: Running Out of Cheeks, Part 1 of 5, The Easy Mark

What happens after you turn the other cheek?  I don’t know about you but I am running out of cheeks to turn.  I want to take a look at how we as Christians should be responding to the trends in society.

I was taught early on to turn the other cheek.

(Mat 5:39 KJV)  But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

As a child I tried to live by that.  It seemed to resonate with my personality and someone evidently laid it on heavy at a receptive moment.  Most of the time it worked well but there was a period in elementary school that it made my life miserable.  I was one of those kids who experienced ongoing bullying from a boy who had been held back several years, wasn’t the brightest on the block and knew an easy mark when he saw one.  I endured hell for a couple of years until one day I had had enough.

I pushed him back.  We had a “fight”. At this age it was not too dramatic.  We pushed and shoved.  Somehow we ended up wrestling on the ground.  No blood.  No bruises.  I don’t remember how it was resolved but I know one thing:  He never bothered me again.

Too often we are given one side of a complex issue and instructed to internalize it as normal in all situations.

To be continued...

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Opus 2026-049: Aren’t Clichés Wonderful

They certainly do come in handy.

I don’t like them when people throw them at me.  It just means they’re not bothering to either listen to me or to think about a reply.  Often times they’re just appropriate.  As I started walking this morning, I looked at the sky.  It was dull, gray and uniform.  I found myself saying, “Yes, but the glory of the Lord shines through.”  How trite.  How common.  How true.  There’s a reason why so many clichés have been going so long.  That may be why some people can read the same books over and over again.

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Opus 2024-347: Do the Math

I went to the meeting, even though I didn’t qualify. It was billed as a pastors conference, and as you went in there was a sign saying ,“Welcome, pastors, and leaders”.  I joked with people that I was the “and”.  It was actually open to anybody who wanted to come, so I was not trespassing or being offensive.

They were two speakers.  The first one was a guru on eschatology.  The second was a lawyer who is very involved in the political process.  The lawyer was one of two that I know that I believe are actually going to make it to heaven.  What he had to say was solid.  Believers need to be involed in the political process, their current government and in their society.  The guru, not so much.

When the guru got up to speak, I realized that I had heard him at this event last year and my general feeling was fuzzy neutrality.  When he started to speak, he turned me off a bit because he started off with a startling “gotcha statement”.  He said that 30% of Christians don’t believe that Jesus is God.  At best that is an oxymoron.  At worst it is deceitful.  If you don’t see the problem immediately then follow me here.

If Jesus is not God, then He was just a man.  And CS Lewis points out that is not an acceptable option because He was either God or a lunatic.  If Jesus was just a man, and let’s say He was a good man, then everything He said, was just the opinion of another human being.  All of the teachings that you find in the gospels is just another self-help book or a best seller, waiting to make it on the charts.  It’s just the opinion of another man.

In addition to that if Jesus is not God then He was no longer the perfect lamb.  That means that His death on the cross, assuming it actually happened, was just a tragic moment in history.  A man was killed who did not deserve it.  If He was not the perfect lamb then his blood being shed did nothing to bring forgiveness of sin.  If He was not God, then we have no hope in Him and the term “Christian” becomes nothing more impressive than being called a vegetarian.

So basically, if you do not believe that Jesus is God, you are not a Christian.  Now I would like to think that what the man meant was that 30% of those who called themselves Christians, or consider themselves Christians, don’t believe that Jesus is God.  That would be a statement that makes sense.  Of course, it wouldn’t be as startling and wouldn’t get peoples attention so it wouldn’t work very well.  Such is the dilemma of a public speaker.

From there he went on to speak about Israel and his love with the Jewish people.  I had heard it before, so it was nothing new.  He was very involved with the Jewish people and talked as if he was a member of the synagogue.  Having heard him before I knew where he was going, and a bit about where he was coming from.  He’s one of those who is big on Israel in the end times, and how God is going to reestablish Israel and how we have to pray for Jerusalem and so forth.

Being someone who has read the book of Isaiah and a lot of the prophecies that he talks about and historical books of Israel, I have my doubts that it will work out as smoothly as he proclaims.  Two passages of scripture comes to mind.  The first has to do with the remnant of 7,000.

1 Kings 19:18 (KJV) Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

Then you have this prediction that you find in the book of Isaiah,

Isaiah 1:9 (KJV) Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

It doesn’t sound like God is concerned with preserving the masses of people who considers themselves Jews, or even those who are actually in the lineage of Abraham.  Do the math.

Let me look at the passage from I Kings since it’s more specific in its numbers.  The statement is that after all of the butchery and damage bringing Israel to account there will still be 7,000 who are faithful.  We are used to hearing that number I guess and say “Go team”.  Most of us attend churches that are relatively small and 7,000 sounds like a big number.  I think in terms of gestalt.  What is the big picture and what do these numbers mean?

When Moses lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, there are numbers given about how many people were involved.  I am too lazy right now to go back and add them up, but let’s go with the number of one million.  I think that’s reasonable.  When they finally entered the promised land and conquered it, I would suggest that the numbers went up.  We are now 3000 years later.  Surely, that 1 million has grown.  But let’s go with that number as if it were the same.  Do the math.  If there were 1 million Jews, children of Israel, alive at that time and 7,000 are still loyal to God, that means that 993,000 have been sent on their way to hell.  Those are not exactly what I would call encouraging numbers if I were Jewish.  When the end times come and it says that all Israel will be saved in the book of Romans you have to say to yourself that means that the only ones still alive are the faithful ones and everyone else has been killed one way or another.  Not good odds.

Will God bring Israel back?  The prophecies seem to indicate that.  Will it be a great homecoming involving multiplied millions of people with Jewish blood?  Not only is that not consistent with a rational, holy God, but it doesn’t make any sense.

Stay tuned and you will eventually find out.

homo unius libri

Opus 2024-275: Christian Clichés: Prayer Requests

I am questioning the power of prayer today.  Yesterday we received word that the granddaughter of one of our people died of cancer.  She had been fighting a long time.  We have been praying for her a long time.  There have been some good moments and times of hope.  There was a growing sense of sorrow.  First the doctors said there was nothing else they could do.  Then she went on hospice.  We all held our breath during the last trip of the grandparents to see her while she was still coherent.

During the entire time we were paying praying with fervor.  From our point of you, our prayers were not answered.  Obviously, God said, “No”.  We don’t like that or at least I know I don’t like that.

I am trying to find answers.  While my mind wanders it comes to that verse that talks about God sending Jesus in what He called the “fullness of time”.  There were many factors that came together to say that was the moment Jesus would come.  We speculate on those factors, but we will never know if we got them all or if the ones we do have our correct.  Only God knows that.  The point is it was the focus of time.

I don’t know that I find comfort in it, but I find understanding in the fact that they are possibly many different reasons why this young woman, mother of three, happily married, had to die at this point.  I don’t like it, but I accept it.

As usual, my mind went on another tangent, you know “squirrel”.  I was asking myself why did God give His law to Moses instead of presenting it at the very beginning.  He had the kind of communication with Adam where he could have passed it along with that point.  He could  have established what the standards were then.  At that point everyone would be under the law and have a chance to understand it instead of wandering in the moral wilderness of personal opinion.  But He didn’t.  He waited until the “fullness of time” came for the law.

In so many ways God brings things into our lives when it is our personal, “Fullness of time”.  We can’t know when that is.  We might have a clue, but we can’t know.

Have you ever watched a great cook working in the kitchen?  Many of them don’t have any idea where they left the measuring spoon or measuring cup.  They do almost everything by feel.  When you ask them for a recipe, they will talk about a pinch of this and a dash of that.  They know exactly what they mean even though it’s not always the same thing.  They know how much cayenne to put in the chili by feel not by some silly idea like measuring.  They follow some inner law, some inner standard.  And they usually come out right.  I would say always come out right but I’m not there all the time.  By the same token, I can come up with a recipe and measure everything out precisely and no matter what I do, it just comes short of working.

So trust the chef.  He knows the rules.  He wrote the laws of physics.  He created the stars and the gaps in between them.  He made you and me.  He knows what will work for us in regard to eternity, and He sees through the quick fix.

homo unius libri

Opus 2024-139: Christian Cliches: Pray and Change

I keep hearing that “Prayer changes things.”  While I accept the general idea I don’t see it as a guarantee given by the Bible.  The change is a choice of God, not the petitioner.  

You want a couple of examples?  Start at the top.  Take Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane just before He was arrested.   

(Mar 14:36 KJV)  And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.

It seems pretty clear He is asking for plan B.  At the same time He knows it isn’t going to happen.

Not enough for you?  You are a hard sell.  Next, take the apostle Paul.  Yes, the Paul who said,

(1Th 5:17 KJV)  Pray without ceasing.

Paul is well known for his thorn in the flesh.  He was not excited about it.  He asked God to remove it.

(2Co 12:8 KJV)  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

He asked three times.  God said, “No” three times.

Too many people think that prayer is a “to-do list” for God.  Yes, there are verses that can be understood that way but they have qualifiers.

So pray.  Expect God to answer.  Accept the reality that “no” is an answer.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-287: Dark Thoughts: Apostle or Author

Maybe we have the calling of the Apostle Paul all wrong.

We think of him as the apostle to the Gentiles.  He did too.  And he was.  The Bible is very clear about that and if I could not read I have a friend who cannot have a conversation without telling me again that Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles.  Got it.  The reason my friend has trouble with me is that I am enough of a thinker and student of history to know that many of the churches Paul went to had already been established by others.  I also know that with the coming of Mohammad most of the churches that Paul had anything to do with were turned into mosques.

But what if that was just preparation for his true calling:  Author of Theology.

What if his real calling was to write his letters.

It would require on-the-ground knowledge.  It would require real-world responses to real-world situations.  His missionary journeys gave that to him.  Think about why we have the letters of Paul.  They were almost entirely responses to problems in the church.  Some were moral, some theological.  Paul’s background as a Pharisee and the revelations given him by Jesus put him in a place to write and know of what he spoke.

Most of the churches he was involved with were ground up by Islam.  Similar things can be said of the other NT writers.  What they wrote has survived and continues to bear fruit.

We probably have the wrong idea about the contributions we make, what is important, what will last.  We serve in faith, not in sight.  That might discourage you but I think it should make us optimistic.  It is a reminder of Providence.  God is in charge.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-119: Christian Cliches: Cute Is Temporary

There are a lot of cute sayings that catch our attention and make us think.  The problem is, if we think too long, we find them ridiculous.  Let me give you the example that brings this to my mind.  I paraphrase:

“If everything you did not thank God for yesterday were to disappear today, how would your life be going?”

The initial stimulus is to point out how we need to be more aware of our blessings and have a thankful attitude.  That is good and a needed pause in our day.

But I spend a lot of time each morning being thankful and get tired of people lecturing me so my mind will go on tangents of how this would work out in a real world.  
    How many of you were thankful for gravity yesterday?
    Did you thank God for the tires on your car?
    Did you think of the sun rising on schedule?  Oh, you did?  You get to keep that.
You can see where this could go.

I would be better off if I would just accept the actual point of some things rather than take them literally.  I could think about puppy dogs and another Indiana Jones movie.

Wake me when it is over.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-201: Christian Cliches: Chapter and Verse Please

I am really getting tired of hearing people say, “Scripture says....”  I keep wanting to scream in their ear, “Where?  Give me chapter and verse.”  Usually they can’t.  It is interesting how often people quote Benjamin Franklin and act like it is the Bible.  We need to be careful in misquoting the Bible.  I say that in spite of the fact that I believe that the Bible is the word of God.

The general pagan doesn’t care.  Really.  Why should a Buddhist, a Hindu or a Wican care what the Bible says about anything.  If you believe it is just another old book it has no more authority than something written by Oprah or Dr. Phil.  Actually it has less impact.

The cultural Christian doesn’t care.  They might pay lip service to the Bible as a great book but it doesn’t go too far.  Any part that limits their personal gratification gets set aside for some reason.  It is amazing how many so-called Christians reject some of the central teachings of the Bible.  The physical resurrection of Jesus which the Bible presents as the center of the faith is labeled a myth.  Sexual purity is just a hang up that some of the frustrated men tried to force on us to keep us from having fun.  The list goes on and the accommodations pile up.

The new Christian often doesn’t know any better.  The problem here is that you can distract them from the truths that the Bible teaches by getting them focusing on deceptive points.   It is crippling to their spiritual growth.

Anyone who actually reads their Bible might be a bit skeptical.  One of the general principles I operate by is that if it sounds fishy then it will smell fishy if you get closer.  I say that not to insult the fish but to remind myself that the Bible is a book of consistent truth from a God who does not change.  I wish I could say the same for the people who like to throw out “quotes”.

If you are going to quote the Bible, get it correct and use it with people who will listen.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-43: Christian Cliches: Keys to the Kingdom

Most people have heard the expression “Keys to the Kingdom.”  Peter received them. 

(Matthew 16:19 KJV)  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Romans Catholics use this as evidence that Peter was the first pope and that the church has authority.  The secular world has made this a source of cartoons about Peter being gatekeeper to heaven with all kinds of punch lines between him and people wanting to enter the pearly gates.  That is our culture’s unbiblical image of getting into heaven. 

I think we miss the point of having the keys.  Think about what it means this Sunday.  The person who has the keys at church gets there early and leaves late.  The one who has the keys to every door is usually a servant, a janitor.  They are the ones who are expected to do all the work.

Think about it in the world today.  Most kings don’t have any keys.  I would guess that the President of the United States does not carry any keys.  They don’t need them because someone else opens the doors.  Someone else checks the locks.  Keys are a sign of being a servant, not of being in charge.

We have changed the image.  We give people keys to the city.  We have made keys a badge of rank instead of the tools of a servant.  We want to be kings instead of servants so we take a Biblical idea and change it to serve ourselves.

We should begin to give keys as signs of trust and responsibility.  They should come with a job description and a list of duties.  Do you deserve the keys to the kingdom?  Do you have keys to the church?  Do you remember the first time you had the keys to the car?

Following Jesus means being called to servanthood not positions of power.

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-102, Christian Cliches: The Writing on the Wall

You may have heard someone talking about reading the handwriting on the wall.  You may not be aware that this is from the Bible.  Here is the key verse.

(Daniel 5:5 KJV)  In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

Belshazzar was king of the Chaldeans and was having a party in Babylon.  In the process he was mocking the God of Israel.  Suddenly a hand appeared and wrote on the wall.  When the writing was interpreted it spelled out his doom.

The way this is used seems to tell people to look at what it clear before them.  Usually it is inferred that the news is bad.  That is the current usage but, like many teachings taken from the Bible, it is not true to what actually happened. 

If you go and read chapter 5 in Daniel you find that the king could not read the writing.  He called his wise men and they could not read the writing.  It was there in plain sight, but they could not understand the message.  Finally someone mentioned Daniel, he was summoned and he translated it. 

This is much more typical of where we are today.  The writing on the wall is clear.  Society is in decay.  Government is becoming a tyranny.  Education is becoming a joke.  The church is becoming irrelevant.  Marriage is becoming a game.  What does it all mean?  Much of the world sees the writing and instead of calling a man of God, a Daniel, they turn to their own wise men who consult their psychology texts and sociological gurus and ultimately don’t have a clue.

The church has the ability to read the writing but they are ducking and bobbing to avoid being put on the spot.  The problem is in the heart of men and women.  It is sin.  The theological terms are original sin and depravity.  The Biblical terms are the flesh, the old man, and of course, sin.  That is sin as a condition, not as an action.  Even the world will admit that there are things that could be categorized as “sin” but they deny the evil in the hearts of men.

The writing is on the wall and the news is not good.  To find a solution you need to recognize the problem  It will not be made clear by the ignorant intellectuals who reject truth.  It is time for the people of God to step up to the plate and speak truth.  In Belshazzar’s time the translation came too late. 

We had better not wait too long.

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-27, Christian Cliches: Casting Your Pearls

“Don’t cast your pearls before swine” is good advice but does not go with our modern multi-cultural crowd.  Before you get too upset about such an insult as inferring that people are pigs, understand that these are the words of Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild.  It turns out He is not as meek and mild as many people claim.

This is part of the Sermon on the Mount which begins in Matthew 5 with what are called the Beatitudes.  What is also ignored is that it comes right after the section that people love to quote.  You first find,

(Matthew 7:1 KJV)  Judge not, that ye be not judged.

Our world loves this verse.  They don’t love what comes a few verses later:

(Matthew 7:6 KJV)  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

It would seem that Jesus is telling us we need to make decisions that are close to judging.  We are given the responsibility to decide who the pigs are.

Don’t feel like you need to let everyone know everything.  Don’t feel that you need to let little children wash your good china.  Don’t entrust your precious children to the public schools. 

Pigs make good bacon but they make terrible judges at the cake competition at the county fair.

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-359, Christian Cliches: Scapegoat

Have you ever been the scapegoat?  This term has come to mean the one who is blamed for someone else’s failure.  It is a term from the Bible.

Look over Leviticus 16.  It has to do with the sacrificial system.  The first use of the term deals with the selection,

(Leviticus 16:10 KJV)  But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.

This goat is not to be sacrificed.  It is to be let go, but a special ritual is to be performed first.

(Leviticus 16:21 KJV)  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:

The goat is the one who receives all of the blame for the sins of Israel.  It is then taken out into the wilderness and released.  The goat did nothing.  It was chosen by lot.  It was blamed.

So when you are the scapegoat it is no reflection on you, but you will be blamed.

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-342, Christian Cliches: Salt of the earth

Have you ever been called “the salt of the earth?”  It is usually a compliment unless you happen to be in the anti-salt, health food group.  The phrase comes from the Bible.

(Matthew 5:13 KJV)  Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

As you can see, the term originally referred to followers of Jesus.  It tells us a lot about what it means to be a believer.

Salt is never the major ingredient.  Even in things like bacon, salt is a small percentage of the total.  Are you a believer?  Do you feel like you are a minority?  You are.  Get used to it.

Salt adds savor as it says in this verse.  That can be good or bad.  Here it is pointing out how salt is added to food to bring out the flavor.  That is good.  Christians may be a small part of the population but we exert a tremendous influence on the direction society goes.  Or at least we used to do so.  I fear that we may be losing our savor.  The prospects for the world are bad, for us they are eternal.

I guess we could also concede a point to the medical gurus.  Sometimes salt raises the blood pressure.  This is obvious when we take a stand on abortion, abstinence, homosexuality or any other moral issue.  We get people’s blood pressure up.  Of course in society that can be a healthy thing.

Salt also preserves.  It was one of the few methods that ancient times had to preserve food.  The presence of believers goes a long way toward holding back God’s wrath and the decay that comes in godless society.

So being the salt of the earth means a lot more than the popular understanding.  Properly understood it means that we change the world around us.

Be salty.

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-295, Christian Cliches: Out of the Mouth of Babes.

(Matthew 21:16 KJV)  And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

Most people have heard someone mumble, “Out of the mouths of babes...”  They understand it means that children can often say things that reflect reality.  We see this in the nursery story about the King’s New Clothes.  Only the child was willing to say that the king was naked.

This comes from a conversation Jesus had with the Pharisees.  Some children were praising Jesus in the temple and the Pharisees were offended.  Part of their problem was that Jesus was looking good and doing good.  Part of their problem was that He was being praised.  Part of it was that the children were being noisy in church. 

I see this kind of thing as school all the time.  We frequently have the school officials announce something that has us looking at each other and scratching our heads.  One of the kids will point out how foolish it is.  I ask them how old they are and then ask them how someone so young could see the truth when the adults don’t.  Again they just shake their heads.

Sometimes the statements of the children are based on the ignorance of inexperience.  A few days ago we were discussing the Constitution and defining words.  We were talking about bankruptcy.  The kids gave their usual statements about just printing more money.  At one point one of the kids said, how come we just don’t give people what they need and not charge.  When I asked where the goods would come from he suggested that everyone would do what they could.  Does this sound familiar?  Let me remind you of an immortal quote which I shall address some other time, “From each according to his ability.  To each according to his need.”  My little, ignorant children came up with one of the great statements of Communism.  So much for great thinkers.

Out of the mouths of babes comes wisdom and foolishness.  It is up to the mature to decide whether this quote is a cliche or a proverb.

Are you up to the challenge?

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-258, Christian Cliches: We Are All God’s Children

One of the popular things to say today is that we are all God’s children.  This is used as an excuse for putting up with all kinds of foolishness and to tolerate all kinds of sin.  The thinking is that since we are all God’s children then it doesn’t matter if we are Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or any other expression of faith.  There are many roads to God and we all belong to Him.  Right?  Wrong.

Wherever that teaching comes from, it is not the Bible.  There are numerous parameters put on who can consider themselves a child of God.  First, you must be saved.  You must be a believer.

(Galatians 3:26 KJV)  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Then we get to the level of obedience.  Are you following the steps that God has laid out for you?

(Romans 8:14 KJV)  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Although God did cause unbelievers to do His will, such as Nebuchadnezzar and Pharaoh, generally speaking the Holy Spirit only leads those who have been converted.

Then we have the narrowest qualification of all, the demand for holiness.

(2 Corinthians 6:17-18 KJV)  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Nowhere in the Bible do we see this modern, self-esteem driven, diversity training crafted, multicultural definition of being a child of God.  Don’t delude yourself.

The Bible teaches adoption and “new” birth, not universalism.  Anyone can join the family.  All are invited, but membership is not automatic.

Does this understanding exclude people?  No and yes.  No, because it is clearly stated,

(John 3:16 KJV)  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Remember that verse and the “whosoever”?  All are invited. 

Yes, it excludes some.  You have to get on board to ride the bus.  It is a simple law of society.  We have events at school where they provide free shuttle buses.  I always drive.  I prefer to be in control of my destiny, but a school event is not an eternal matter.  I can’t complain because they say I am not on the bus.  I am not.  It was my choice.  I was invited.  I declined.

All human beings are not children of God.  Some have another father.

(John 8:44 KJV)  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

If your father is not God, then your father is the devil.  Seems pretty simple to me.

Would you like to join my family?

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-244, Christian Cliches: Are We Having Fun Yet? Then Stop.

Every once in awhile I meet someone who criticizes Christians because we are so dull.  We can’t have any fun, according to them.  I ran across a quote by C.S. Lewis that responds very well.  If you are unfamiliar with The Screwtape Letters, keep in mind that it is a senior demon writing to a junior demon.

“He has filled His world with pleasures.  There are things for humans to do all day long without His minding in the least - sleeping, washing, eating, drinking, making love, playing, praying, working.  Everything has to be twisted before it’s any use to us.  We fight under cruel disadvantages.  Nothing is naturally on our side.”  (Emphasis in original)  p. 118

The list Lewis gives us is surprising and short. 

It surprises because it includes things that we might not include as fun.  Washing is fun?  Think about it.  After a long, hard, sweaty day doesn’t a hot shower bring great pleasure?  Think of the joy of making love without having to worry about STD or guilt.  Are you one of those few people who can’t enjoy a Sunday afternoon nap?  Really?

It is short because of all the things that are not listed.  Take any activity that does not involve excess in alcohol, drugs or violence and it is probably something that Christians can do.  And since they won’t be influenced by alcohol or drugs they will actually remember they did it.  Such things as sky diving, skiing, hunting, and hang-gliding come to mind.  I have never done any of them, but they are on that long list of options that are open.

What happens is Satan takes the good things God has given them and twists them.  In Proverbs one of the words used for people who follow evil is crooked.  In fact that is the meaning of perverted. 

So take your choice.  Do you want to have fun and live eternally to talk about it or do you want to spend your time in Hell knowing that all of the stories you hear are lies because you have been there.

Lewis, C.S.  The Screwtape Letters.  Norwalk, Connecticut:  The Easton Press, 2002.

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-232, Christian Cliches: Why Me, Lord, Part VI

How should we respond to calamity.  Start with the assumption that whining and complaining are not the answer.

Ask for relief.  There is nothing wrong with being honest with God.  Let me share a little secret:  I have yelled at God.  That is the bad news.  The good news is He didn’t strike me down.  Instead, He seemed to respond with, “Okay.  Now you have that off your chest.  Are you ready to talk?”

Be honest with God about your feelings.  Remember Jesus in the Garden.  He was in agony just thinking about what was to come.  You think you have problems, imagine being the One who was without sin and becoming sin on our behalf.  What did Jesus pray?

(Luke 22:42-4 KJV)  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.  And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.  And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Notice that Jesus asked for a rain check.  He would have loved to move to plan B, but the key was His spirit of obedience.

Or consider Paul and his thorn in the flesh. 

(2 Corinthians 12:7-9 KJV)  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

It is acceptable to ask but required to obey.

Ultimately you might have only one hope:  Repentance and change.  Or is that two hopes?  Whatever.  Going back to the OT for an example:

(Exodus 23:25 KJV)  And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

Is there sin in your life?  Are you being disobedient?  Are you like Jonah, running in the opposite direction?  Then either enjoy the suffering or begin the repenting.

Are you young enough to have heard the old song “Trust and obey”?  It is still the best advice.  It doesn’t matter is life gives you spaghetti and meat sauce or liver and onions.  Trust and obey.

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-227, Christian Cliches: Why Me, Lord, Part V

What about the times that it seems like God is not rewarding the righteous?  I blew out a tire when I hit a pot hole on the freeway.  It was raining hard during rush hour.  I was on my way to work.  I could have asked, “Why me, Lord?”  To be honest, that was my first inclination.  But the Holy Spirit started whispering in my ear.  I could have been in the middle of a multiple car pile-up with people dead and crippled.  Instead I marveled that I had come through the experience with nothing but a ruined tire.  It was even changed and I was on the road in 15 minutes.  I even found out I had a road hazard warranty.  I could have been plastered over the guard rail or under the front bumper of an eighteen wheeler.  Instead I was joking with the guy changing the tire. 

I think I wrote this somewhere before, but I still ask the question, “Why me, Lord?”  But what I mean by that is why was a spared.  What was it that let me drive away, unharmed in a few minutes?  Why has God blessed me and not the other guy?  It comes down to guardian angels or simply the grace of God.

How many times has God shielded us from major tragedy by allowing a little discomfort into our lives?  How many times have you been a little slow and if you had been moving at your normal speed you would have been broadsided by someone running a red light?  I can’t believe how many times my car has broken down just when I am pulling into my driveway.  My son had a brain tumor.  We were able to obtain the services of one of the best specialists in the country.

Sin abounds.  Calamity abounds.  Right now unemployment abounds.  But grace aboundeth more.

To be continued...

homo unius libri