I very good friend of mine was just recently attacked by a group of Christians. He held a game night for his Jr High ministry, playing the kind of games that Jr. High students love (just watch Nickelodeon). No one was forced to do anything they did not want to, they could just watch and laugh if they wanted to. (which is what I would do).
This radio host went on to say that this kind of church is the downfall of evangelicalism, and why the church is in shambles and blah blah blah. I have my own take on why the church is in shambles.
My pastor (Whom I love! he has been the pastor here for 47 years) gave a great annalogy the other week about Christians. He said that Donkeys (i laughed too, and illustration where donkeys are illustrations for christians, ha) in the wild are not very bright. when they get scared they get into a circle with their heads out, and the slightest noise will start one kicking in fear, well he kicks another donkey which will think that he is under attack from the enemy and start kicking also. After a while all the donkeys are dead in a pile and the wolves come in and feast without lifting a finger (or paw).
We christians get so prideful. Jesus gave us the truth, so we take the truth interpret it with our finite human brains and come up with a "we are right about everything" syndrome. In doing this, any view that is different than our own is looked upon as wrong, because we have the truth. Then we end up kicking each other to death in an attempt to attack the enemy.
I'm not sure that Satan has been very busy latley, we've been doing alot of his work for him. Spreading division, tearing eachother down, attacking those trying to further the kingdom, spreading pridefulness. Maybe Satan has looked upon the church and has said, "I think that I'll take a vacation. They have alot of this covered."
Lesson of the day: Everyone should not have to think like you. You don't have all the answers.
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Monday, November 07, 2005
I have been inspired to inspire
I read a quote today that hit me hard, and enabled me to look back on the year’s hardships in a positive light. Myra Shelley writes in her book, “The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham” That the Bible tells us that everyone alive is born into sorrow, as the sparks fly upward. Everyone experiences personal tragedies and inevitable grief, but leaders bear all these things along with the weight of knowing how much their decisions, attitudes, and actions affect others.”
I lost my son Elijah this year. It was the most devastating, stressful, faith-bending event I have gone through to date. This event happened on top of an already stressful year of medical challenges with my other son Isaac. Many people told me, “I don’t know how you are handling this, I would be falling apart by now.” My response was an honest, “I am handling this because I have to.” Simple as that.
When I gave the eulogy at my son’s funeral, I was looking into the faces of people looking for hope and inspiration, because all have pain and hardships, and wanted to know that they could face their situations as well. I could have folded under the pressure and rolled into a little ball, and said “I give up” in front of all those faces, or I could step up and let God strengthen me for the task at hand. The first option would have gotten me pity and sympathy, the other option could have inspired a few hundred people. I could have focused inward, or outward. Leaders focus outward first.
Last week a student took my wife aside and said, “When you first came to this church, I was at the lowest point of my life, I was depressed, and had been cutting myself. Watching the two of you trying so hard to be strong for everyone while going through the loss of your son was such an example and an inspiration to me. After seeing that I made a real commitment to God, and my life has turned around. Your faith showed me who God really is.” (paraphrase)
After hearing this, and reading the above comment, that leaders bear the weight of their tragedies and sorrow along with the weight of knowing that people are looking to you for inspiration, I felt a bit better.
Leadership, as I have learned, is a beautiful alchemy of personal pain and tragedy mixed with great character and initiative. Mary also writes later on, “When one believes that one’s actions are not random and meaningless, and even more important, that one’s actions influence eternal realities for longer than what happens in one’s brief life, it humbles and sobers the soul.”
Lesson of the day: Leadership requires a conscious choice to use your hardships to inspire others.
I lost my son Elijah this year. It was the most devastating, stressful, faith-bending event I have gone through to date. This event happened on top of an already stressful year of medical challenges with my other son Isaac. Many people told me, “I don’t know how you are handling this, I would be falling apart by now.” My response was an honest, “I am handling this because I have to.” Simple as that.
When I gave the eulogy at my son’s funeral, I was looking into the faces of people looking for hope and inspiration, because all have pain and hardships, and wanted to know that they could face their situations as well. I could have folded under the pressure and rolled into a little ball, and said “I give up” in front of all those faces, or I could step up and let God strengthen me for the task at hand. The first option would have gotten me pity and sympathy, the other option could have inspired a few hundred people. I could have focused inward, or outward. Leaders focus outward first.
Last week a student took my wife aside and said, “When you first came to this church, I was at the lowest point of my life, I was depressed, and had been cutting myself. Watching the two of you trying so hard to be strong for everyone while going through the loss of your son was such an example and an inspiration to me. After seeing that I made a real commitment to God, and my life has turned around. Your faith showed me who God really is.” (paraphrase)
After hearing this, and reading the above comment, that leaders bear the weight of their tragedies and sorrow along with the weight of knowing that people are looking to you for inspiration, I felt a bit better.
Leadership, as I have learned, is a beautiful alchemy of personal pain and tragedy mixed with great character and initiative. Mary also writes later on, “When one believes that one’s actions are not random and meaningless, and even more important, that one’s actions influence eternal realities for longer than what happens in one’s brief life, it humbles and sobers the soul.”
Lesson of the day: Leadership requires a conscious choice to use your hardships to inspire others.
Friday, November 04, 2005
Christians scare me
Have you ever noticed that Christians can be the most prideful people on the planet? Funny, we are the ones who preach humility, deny your self and pick up your cross, be humble before God and all.
But when it comes to our interactions with the un-churched, we well up with the "I'm so right about everything" pride. Everything you do is wrong, everything you listen to or watch or drink or eat is wrong. Clean yourself and come to God. That seems to be the attitude of many Christians. Sounds familiar, from the New Testament, no not Jesus. Try the Pharisees. We all know how successful they were. Its not a very effective tool for evangelism.
Why do we get so offended when a sinner sins? What do you expect! They are called sinners for a reason. Jesus said that we would be a people that did not offend easy. We hear about a couple living together out of wedlock and we get so offended, or a teenager using drugs or sexually active. Are these actions wrong? Yep. What should we do about it? Love and speak God's truth to them. Forget getting offended all the time, it does no good to you, or to them.
What will do a load of good is to look past the sin, to the person hurting and filling their life with something to fill the void, and love them exactly where they are at, for who they are. We are always preaching that God does it. We are God's impersonators here on earth, what they see in us they credit to God, good or bad.
Lesson of the day: Love speaks louder than piety
But when it comes to our interactions with the un-churched, we well up with the "I'm so right about everything" pride. Everything you do is wrong, everything you listen to or watch or drink or eat is wrong. Clean yourself and come to God. That seems to be the attitude of many Christians. Sounds familiar, from the New Testament, no not Jesus. Try the Pharisees. We all know how successful they were. Its not a very effective tool for evangelism.
Why do we get so offended when a sinner sins? What do you expect! They are called sinners for a reason. Jesus said that we would be a people that did not offend easy. We hear about a couple living together out of wedlock and we get so offended, or a teenager using drugs or sexually active. Are these actions wrong? Yep. What should we do about it? Love and speak God's truth to them. Forget getting offended all the time, it does no good to you, or to them.
What will do a load of good is to look past the sin, to the person hurting and filling their life with something to fill the void, and love them exactly where they are at, for who they are. We are always preaching that God does it. We are God's impersonators here on earth, what they see in us they credit to God, good or bad.
Lesson of the day: Love speaks louder than piety
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