They say that "if anything can go wrong, it will." This little truth is known as Murphy's Law and, if I've learned anything in life, I've learned that this is crazy true! No kidding, I've even gotten to the point that when I start a new project, I allot extra time in my schedule for Murphy Moments.
Now, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one to deal with this phenomenon on a regular basis. Perhaps never does this curse strike more than when I'm getting ready to go on a youth trip. A few trips stand out in my memory... Trip 1: I was taking our youth to Kansas City, MO for a huge youth rally in the middle of a very hot summer. Literally a day before we were set to leave I found out that the AC had stopped working on our church bus. And wouldn't you know that no rental company in our town had a van available? Trip 2: Then there was the time that we were headed to the Atlanta airport to fly to Ecuador for a summer mission trip. Well, ten miles out of town, Wayne ran the van out of gas! Being a mile from the nearest exit meant we were sure to miss our flight without some divine intervention. Trip 3: Last April. While driving a group to Fort Worth for a conference Wayne, again, ran the van out of gas (I know you're thinking that, perhaps, my middle name is Murphy). And then there's this last weekend. We left for Pigeon Forge, TN for a conference. On our way out of town, I stopped to fill up the van only to find that someone had, literally, cut the gas fill line so they could siphon out the gas! By the way, these are just the ones that really stick out in my mind...there have been SO many more Murphy Moments!
If you're anything like me you've had your fair share of "Why me?" moments. These times leave us wondering what we did to deserve the problems that have cropped up. In our minds, there is no correlation with anything we've done and direct consequences which we seem to be enduring. Last week we looked at the reality of pain, suffering and hard times. We concluded, based on what we read in James that we should EXPECT hard times, EMBRACE them and ENDURE them. Though we talked about how to deal with them, we never even touched on the source of said troubles. Where do all these things come from anyway? Instead of "Why me?", shouldn't we really be asking "Why at all?"
Well, Ole James answers this question for us. In James 1:13-18, Jesus' half-brother reveals the source of all the pain, suffering and trouble in the world. Check it out! First of all, he makes it clear that these things do NOT come from God! In verse 14, he says, "But each person..." In saying this, James identifies the real source of pain, suffering and hard times...people! We live in a messed up world. And, it's not just messed up on the surface...the whole system by which the world operates is messed up. Think of it this way...it's not just that our bearing is off (thereby, leading us down the wrong path)...the problem is that our actual compass is jacked up! In other words, we live in a chaotic, messed up world where horrible things happen in seemingly random ways AND it's all because our sin, both generally and specifically, made it this way!
Generally speaking, the presence of sin in the world has acted like a cancer on creation...breaking it down, messing it up, and progressively pushing the world closer and closer towards destruction. The cumulative effects of our sin has destroyed the original creative order. Hurricanes, tornadoes earthquakes, cancers, diseases, etc. all exist because our sin has cumulatively tainted the system of how the world works. Specifically, the consequences of our sin affect our lives and the lives of people close to us. Drunk drivers destroy families, sexually promiscuous people spread around diseases, addictions of all types drive us towards ever deeper dependancies, adulterous relationships destroy families, child-molesters destroy children, abortionists destroy babies, etc. Generally AND specifically our sin has messed up this world and, now, we suffer the consequences and are spinning out of control. The truth is that every time something goes wrong, or turns out bad, or produces suffering and/or pain, sin is to blame. And because we're the authors of sin...ultimately we're to blame!
So...you and I are the real source of Murphy's Law. There it is... And, when it comes to how we got here, there is a definite sequence. Again, according to James, our sin begins with desire. These desires are the natural drives that we have that push us towards pleasure and happiness. The problem comes when we allow these drives to get out of control and tempt us to pervert the good things God has given us for our own selfish purposes. Notice...James doesn't say these desires are sinful. Sin doesn't happen until we act on the temptation to fulfill these desires! So desire, left unchecked, leads to sin. And sin ultimately leads to death and destruction...both generally and specifically. So...it's not just that pain & suffering are caused by our sin...the whole reason that death exists is because of our sin! Our sin leads to death!!!
So...if you don't like pain & suffering & hard times, the only logical thing to do is to break the sequence of sin in your life. Now, here's the kicker...YOU CAN'T BREAK THAT SEQUENCE! Your own sin has, actually, rendered you helpless in this area. You're broken just like the rest of creation! The bible says you and I are "slaves" to sin. Enter God... According to James, while we are the source of all things evil, God is the source of all things good. If you've experienced any good in your life, guess what...it didn't come from you! It came from God. And, He's provided another good thing...salvation. By turning from our sin and trusting in what Christ has done in His atoning death, paying the price for sin, we, through the power of His indwelling Spirit, have the ability to break the sequence of sin in our lives. And, as we do so, we become agents of change in the world in a good way! If our sin progressively makes the world a worse place to live in, it only makes logical sense that our sanctification will make it better. God doesn't want to just save you...He wants to make you a conduit of change for the world.
So...the next time you are in one of those "Why me?" moments, remember...it really is your fault! And mine...and every other person in this world. Our sin has stunk up the world! Thanks be to God that He's busy doing something about that in us and through us. So, you can either be a little "Murphy" in this world or you can be a little "Jesus". What's it gonna be?
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
It's called "Working Out" for a reason!
Those of you who know me personally and now, even those who don't, realize that I'm somewhat of a fan of fitness. Note...I didn't say I was a fanatic about fitness, but I most definitely am a fan of fitness. About 5 years ago, I decided that I had had enough of my fat, lazy, gluttonous self so I decided to do something about it. I started out with a little running, then transitioned to resistance training, then to P90X Lean, P90X Classic and P90X Doubles. I'm happy to say that through the whole process, I've lost and kept off nearly 50 pounds. Not only that, my health is much improved. I was on medication for my blood pressure by the time I was 25 and was told, then, that I'd be on it for the rest of my life. However, 50 pounds lighter and my blood pressure isn't just under control with diet and exercise...it actually runs pretty low...like 170/68 low!
Just recently, my wife decided to get in on the fun. She got us started on a new program called T25. 25 minutes a day, 6 days a week and, boom, you reach some pretty cool fitness goals. I've enjoyed working out with her for a few of reasons. 1 - I get lonely working out alone so it's cool to have someone sharing the experience, sweating with me and HURTING with me. 2 - I push myself a lot harder when she's there because: A - I don't want her to show me up, and, B - I want her to think I'm tough. And, reason number 3 why I enjoy working out with her...spandex and sports bras! I really think I could get my heart rate up just as high by sitting and watching her workout...but, anyway, we digress!
Now, I learned pretty early on in the whole exercise game that it was called "working out" for a reason. Let's be honest, if you go to the gym and just look at the cardio equipment, nothing will happen! Even if you get on a device or two...if all you do is put forth minimal effort...nothing will happen! Let's say you go move around a few weights, but you don't really do it with any intensity...nothing will happen! In order for "working out" to actually work, you've got to actually work at "working out"! For those of you who go to gyms, I'm sure you've noticed your share of "gym rats"...folks who hang out at the gym, but don't actually do much. Are these folks usually the picture of fitness? Not really!
So, this whole idea is fresh on my mind this week because, just last week, Wendy and I decided it was time for our oldest son, Zach (AKA Man Cub), to join us in our athletic endeavors. He's recently joined the baseball team at his school and, for about the last 12 years, he's been getting a little soft around the middle so we decided it was time for him to get in on the family fun. Let me just say that my workouts have suffered. First off, he doesn't want to get up at 4:45 AM each morning to join us. I'm literally dragging him out of bed each morning. Secondly, he doesn't really see the value in it so he only wants to put forth minimal effort. I'm not saying he's lazy, exercise just isn't his thing...he's more of a gamer. But...we've decided, for him, that he needs to get in better shape (and that it's a perfect opportunity to teach him how tough his mom and dad really are).
This morning, I spent almost the whole 25 minutes of T25 reminding Man Cub that the reason it's called "working out" is because it involves work! Like, literally, ever minute or two I was fussing about his lack of effort. Half steps here, shuffles there, pikes instead of planks, butt high in the air pushups, bending over instead of squatting, and standing instead of lunging all summed up to major frustrations for dear old dad! DID I MENTION THAT IT'S CALLED "WORKING OUT" FOR A REASON?
Zach doesn't really see the value in it all. In fact, for him, our workouts are a lot more like torture sessions. Honestly, I'm pretty sure that's exactly where taking out the trash ranks for him also, but that's a different issue for another blog. So, yeah, Zach doesn't see the value in working out because he hasn't fully got a grasp on how all of his efforts will be rewarded. In his mind, he's putting up with a lot of pain, discomfort and struggle, but not really getting any immediate gratification out of it...therefore, it's not worth doing.
Now, before you get all "That boy just ain't right" on my boy, let me say that, more likely than not, you're probably a lot like him...just in a different way. Spiritually, us "Christians" tend to be a lot like Man Cub and his exercises. We expect the Christian life to be easy and to be full of rewards. We put forth minimal efforts, but expect great reward. In our minds, coming to Jesus should make our life better. We should be MORE blessed. And, when it doesn't happen that way, we get pretty upset and start questioning God, at the best, or questioning the existence of God, at the worst.
Two quick cases in point, here:
First, I actually had a guy tell me, one time, that the reason he was so obedient to God and tried to live for God was because he knew that as long as he obeyed Him, God would bless his business. In other words, his obedience to God had little to do with his love for God, but was based on a return investment from God! My question, of course, was, "Well, what happens when your business struggles or things in the economy go bad? Will you continue to obey God?" Does God bless us? YES. Does God bless us as repayment for obedience to Him? NO!!!! He blesses us because He's good...and, in case you haven't noticed, He blesses the righteous and the evil alike! So...I don't think we can ever mistake God's blessings for Him being happy with us OR, on the other hand, mistake struggle and hardship with God's dissatisfaction with us. Got that? Good...next case.
Second, the church that I am part of had a pretty bad thing happen on one of our recent mission trips. Someone on our team was actually arrested for something they didn't even realize was wrong. They spent at least a month in a foreign prison. As a church, we spent a lot of time in prayer and serious concern for this person's safety and for how the fallout would effect our ability to minister in the region. This person is safely home now, but the point that I want to focus on is as follows. There were actually good people...some of whom I had previously considered to be spiritually mature...who said that this happening was PROOF that God didn't want us working in that area any more. In fact, according to some of them, God didn't want our church doing foreign missions AT ALL. In their way of thinking, God wouldn't allow bad things to happen to us if we're in the middle of His will. And, since something bad happened, it must be proof that God doesn't want us involved in those things! Just thinking about this makes me want to drop-kick some Christians...don't they know we're in spiritual war? Hello, war = not easy!
Enter a fellow by the name of James. Yeah, I know I talked about him in my last blog too...get used to it. So this fella, James, says something pretty radical in the face of the above cases. "Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:2-4) So James says there are a few things we need to recognize about trials (i.e., hard times, struggles, persecutions, etc).
First of all, he says we should EXPECT them! In James way of thinking, hard times are just part of life. However, to take it a step further, if you're a Christian, they're definitely going to be part of your life...at least James thought so...and so did Jesus! In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us not to be surprised when the world hates us because it hated him first. I believe that if we are hated by the world, that's going to create some problems for us, right? In that way of thinking, experiencing hard times actually identifies us MORE with Jesus and true faith, not the other way around! So...expect hard times.
Secondly, we should EMBRACE them! "What, are you crazy, Wayne?" No more crazy than James! He said, not only should we embrace them, but should consider the whole thing a "great joy". I'll admit that, even, sounds a little crazy to me. However, the reason we should have joy in the midst of suffering is not because we're a bunch of masochists, but because we realize that God will bring something good out of our suffering. In fact, this is what turns modern-day "name it and claim it" theology on its head! Today's theology would claim that God wants you to be blessed physically, spiritually, materialistically, etc. However, the truth is that God, routinely, allows his children to go through intense suffering in order that He might bring them through it and produce something of much greater value on the other side! God doesn't care about your car or house or clothes or bank account...He cares about your soul...and the souls of countless other millions out there! For years I've heard it said that "the church is built on the blood of the martyrs". God has allowed Christians, through the ages, to go through some of the most intense suffering we could imagine in order to build up His Kingdom! So, let's just get real about this "God doesn't want us doing missions if it's dangerous" crap! The truth...the more dangerous it is, the more God will probably be in it! This idea is so foreign to us American Christians because we spend 99% of our time running from anything that would be uncomfortable or dangerous. In fact, I'm pretty sure that comfort and safety have become the gods of the the 21st century American Christian. (I could talk about this for a month so let's just move on...)
Thirdly, James says that we should ENDURE them! We endure suffering for the glory of God and the growth of our own faith. It would do us all well to remember, in our times of suffering, that our circumstances are just circumstantial. That means they're temporary. I've seen great go to tragic in a heart beat. I've seen those on the highest pedestal fall to the lowest depths. I've seen people at rock bottom be lifted to the mountaintop. Whatever your situation is in life, it's not permanent! Hey, and that's exactly God's perspective on things. Realize that the majority of the issues we think are so devastating are little more than blips on the radar of the screen of eternity. When you're able to adopt God's perspective on struggle, sacrifice and pain, it really changes how you feel about your circumstances. The reward for our endurance in the face of struggle and pain is maturity of faith and the crown of life (James 1:12). That's a great reason to stick with Jesus through the hard times! Living in light of eternity makes the dark times, in this world, not quite so dark...
In T25, Shawn T has a saying that he throws out there when the workout gets tough, "Don't run from the pain, feel the pain." I believe that's something that Christians need to hear and live. When it comes to life's pains, instead of running from them, we need to feel them. Instead of turning our backs on the hard stuff, we need to throw our shoulders into it. Instead of trying to keep our hands clean of all of the muck and mire and hard work, we need to jump in to our neck and get covered in the dirt of struggle and pain as we build the Kingdom of God and reach the world with the Gospel of Christ. And when hard times come upon us, instead of whining and complaining, we need to expect them, embrace them and endure them for the glory of God. The Apostle Paul once told a body of believers that they needed to "work out" their "salvation with fear and trembling". (Philippians 2:12). You know, if you're "work out" doesn't require work then the "work out" isn't going to work! After all, it's called "working out" for a reason!
Just recently, my wife decided to get in on the fun. She got us started on a new program called T25. 25 minutes a day, 6 days a week and, boom, you reach some pretty cool fitness goals. I've enjoyed working out with her for a few of reasons. 1 - I get lonely working out alone so it's cool to have someone sharing the experience, sweating with me and HURTING with me. 2 - I push myself a lot harder when she's there because: A - I don't want her to show me up, and, B - I want her to think I'm tough. And, reason number 3 why I enjoy working out with her...spandex and sports bras! I really think I could get my heart rate up just as high by sitting and watching her workout...but, anyway, we digress!
Now, I learned pretty early on in the whole exercise game that it was called "working out" for a reason. Let's be honest, if you go to the gym and just look at the cardio equipment, nothing will happen! Even if you get on a device or two...if all you do is put forth minimal effort...nothing will happen! Let's say you go move around a few weights, but you don't really do it with any intensity...nothing will happen! In order for "working out" to actually work, you've got to actually work at "working out"! For those of you who go to gyms, I'm sure you've noticed your share of "gym rats"...folks who hang out at the gym, but don't actually do much. Are these folks usually the picture of fitness? Not really!
So, this whole idea is fresh on my mind this week because, just last week, Wendy and I decided it was time for our oldest son, Zach (AKA Man Cub), to join us in our athletic endeavors. He's recently joined the baseball team at his school and, for about the last 12 years, he's been getting a little soft around the middle so we decided it was time for him to get in on the family fun. Let me just say that my workouts have suffered. First off, he doesn't want to get up at 4:45 AM each morning to join us. I'm literally dragging him out of bed each morning. Secondly, he doesn't really see the value in it so he only wants to put forth minimal effort. I'm not saying he's lazy, exercise just isn't his thing...he's more of a gamer. But...we've decided, for him, that he needs to get in better shape (and that it's a perfect opportunity to teach him how tough his mom and dad really are).
This morning, I spent almost the whole 25 minutes of T25 reminding Man Cub that the reason it's called "working out" is because it involves work! Like, literally, ever minute or two I was fussing about his lack of effort. Half steps here, shuffles there, pikes instead of planks, butt high in the air pushups, bending over instead of squatting, and standing instead of lunging all summed up to major frustrations for dear old dad! DID I MENTION THAT IT'S CALLED "WORKING OUT" FOR A REASON?
Zach doesn't really see the value in it all. In fact, for him, our workouts are a lot more like torture sessions. Honestly, I'm pretty sure that's exactly where taking out the trash ranks for him also, but that's a different issue for another blog. So, yeah, Zach doesn't see the value in working out because he hasn't fully got a grasp on how all of his efforts will be rewarded. In his mind, he's putting up with a lot of pain, discomfort and struggle, but not really getting any immediate gratification out of it...therefore, it's not worth doing.
Now, before you get all "That boy just ain't right" on my boy, let me say that, more likely than not, you're probably a lot like him...just in a different way. Spiritually, us "Christians" tend to be a lot like Man Cub and his exercises. We expect the Christian life to be easy and to be full of rewards. We put forth minimal efforts, but expect great reward. In our minds, coming to Jesus should make our life better. We should be MORE blessed. And, when it doesn't happen that way, we get pretty upset and start questioning God, at the best, or questioning the existence of God, at the worst.
Two quick cases in point, here:
First, I actually had a guy tell me, one time, that the reason he was so obedient to God and tried to live for God was because he knew that as long as he obeyed Him, God would bless his business. In other words, his obedience to God had little to do with his love for God, but was based on a return investment from God! My question, of course, was, "Well, what happens when your business struggles or things in the economy go bad? Will you continue to obey God?" Does God bless us? YES. Does God bless us as repayment for obedience to Him? NO!!!! He blesses us because He's good...and, in case you haven't noticed, He blesses the righteous and the evil alike! So...I don't think we can ever mistake God's blessings for Him being happy with us OR, on the other hand, mistake struggle and hardship with God's dissatisfaction with us. Got that? Good...next case.
Second, the church that I am part of had a pretty bad thing happen on one of our recent mission trips. Someone on our team was actually arrested for something they didn't even realize was wrong. They spent at least a month in a foreign prison. As a church, we spent a lot of time in prayer and serious concern for this person's safety and for how the fallout would effect our ability to minister in the region. This person is safely home now, but the point that I want to focus on is as follows. There were actually good people...some of whom I had previously considered to be spiritually mature...who said that this happening was PROOF that God didn't want us working in that area any more. In fact, according to some of them, God didn't want our church doing foreign missions AT ALL. In their way of thinking, God wouldn't allow bad things to happen to us if we're in the middle of His will. And, since something bad happened, it must be proof that God doesn't want us involved in those things! Just thinking about this makes me want to drop-kick some Christians...don't they know we're in spiritual war? Hello, war = not easy!
Enter a fellow by the name of James. Yeah, I know I talked about him in my last blog too...get used to it. So this fella, James, says something pretty radical in the face of the above cases. "Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:2-4) So James says there are a few things we need to recognize about trials (i.e., hard times, struggles, persecutions, etc).
First of all, he says we should EXPECT them! In James way of thinking, hard times are just part of life. However, to take it a step further, if you're a Christian, they're definitely going to be part of your life...at least James thought so...and so did Jesus! In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us not to be surprised when the world hates us because it hated him first. I believe that if we are hated by the world, that's going to create some problems for us, right? In that way of thinking, experiencing hard times actually identifies us MORE with Jesus and true faith, not the other way around! So...expect hard times.
Secondly, we should EMBRACE them! "What, are you crazy, Wayne?" No more crazy than James! He said, not only should we embrace them, but should consider the whole thing a "great joy". I'll admit that, even, sounds a little crazy to me. However, the reason we should have joy in the midst of suffering is not because we're a bunch of masochists, but because we realize that God will bring something good out of our suffering. In fact, this is what turns modern-day "name it and claim it" theology on its head! Today's theology would claim that God wants you to be blessed physically, spiritually, materialistically, etc. However, the truth is that God, routinely, allows his children to go through intense suffering in order that He might bring them through it and produce something of much greater value on the other side! God doesn't care about your car or house or clothes or bank account...He cares about your soul...and the souls of countless other millions out there! For years I've heard it said that "the church is built on the blood of the martyrs". God has allowed Christians, through the ages, to go through some of the most intense suffering we could imagine in order to build up His Kingdom! So, let's just get real about this "God doesn't want us doing missions if it's dangerous" crap! The truth...the more dangerous it is, the more God will probably be in it! This idea is so foreign to us American Christians because we spend 99% of our time running from anything that would be uncomfortable or dangerous. In fact, I'm pretty sure that comfort and safety have become the gods of the the 21st century American Christian. (I could talk about this for a month so let's just move on...)
Thirdly, James says that we should ENDURE them! We endure suffering for the glory of God and the growth of our own faith. It would do us all well to remember, in our times of suffering, that our circumstances are just circumstantial. That means they're temporary. I've seen great go to tragic in a heart beat. I've seen those on the highest pedestal fall to the lowest depths. I've seen people at rock bottom be lifted to the mountaintop. Whatever your situation is in life, it's not permanent! Hey, and that's exactly God's perspective on things. Realize that the majority of the issues we think are so devastating are little more than blips on the radar of the screen of eternity. When you're able to adopt God's perspective on struggle, sacrifice and pain, it really changes how you feel about your circumstances. The reward for our endurance in the face of struggle and pain is maturity of faith and the crown of life (James 1:12). That's a great reason to stick with Jesus through the hard times! Living in light of eternity makes the dark times, in this world, not quite so dark...
In T25, Shawn T has a saying that he throws out there when the workout gets tough, "Don't run from the pain, feel the pain." I believe that's something that Christians need to hear and live. When it comes to life's pains, instead of running from them, we need to feel them. Instead of turning our backs on the hard stuff, we need to throw our shoulders into it. Instead of trying to keep our hands clean of all of the muck and mire and hard work, we need to jump in to our neck and get covered in the dirt of struggle and pain as we build the Kingdom of God and reach the world with the Gospel of Christ. And when hard times come upon us, instead of whining and complaining, we need to expect them, embrace them and endure them for the glory of God. The Apostle Paul once told a body of believers that they needed to "work out" their "salvation with fear and trembling". (Philippians 2:12). You know, if you're "work out" doesn't require work then the "work out" isn't going to work! After all, it's called "working out" for a reason!
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Potentially, one of the greatest articles you could read today!
"You have so much potential!" "This is, potentially, the best...(fill in the blank)" "This company has the potential to make millions." "He didn't live up to his potential." "This team could, potentially, be a major force to be reckoned with, this year." Potential...there is, perhaps, no other word in the English language with as much implied hope as this one. It's, actually, a very powerful word.
I've been doing some studying in the area of "potential energy" this week. Did you know that the same amount of energy is present in each of the following? A bowling ball falling from 20 feet up, a bowling ball landing on your head after falling from 20 feet up, and a bowling ball sitting on a shelf 20 feet above your head. I know what you're thinking... "Wait a minute, how in the world is there as much energy present when that ball is sitting still as when it smacks me in the head?" Well, my friend, the answer is that while on the shelf its energy is in the form of potential energy! When the ball falls off the shelf its potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy...and, when it lands on you a good bit of that energy is transferred into your skull.
Think about how we use the word in other situations and it's clear what we really mean when we say someone or something has potential. What we mean is that all the ingredients needed for something great to happen are there...they just need the right circumstances to be realized.
Now, I know your wondering why all this talk about potential and potential energy. Well, as I've been studying on it, it's become clear to me that potential energy is, potentially, one of the best analogies we can find to explain true saving faith. Let's follow this course for a moment...
The letter to the Hebrews contains one of the most well-known explanations of faith in Scripture. It says that "faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen." (Hebrews 11:1) In other words, real faith carries immense potential because it's more than just hoping or wishing. Faith is knowing! And, really it's more than just knowing because true faith, inevitably, leads to something. Faith, with all of its amazing potential takes what can't be seen, namely belief in a great and wonderful God, and makes it real!
I realize that you may be wondering, at this point, "I believe that faith is real, but how is faith a real thing?" Enter James. James, the half-brother of Jesus, shows us how real faith finds its completion. In other words, he explains how the potential of faith is transformed into reality. In the letter bearing his name, he says the following, "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith, but does not have works? Can his faith save him? ... Faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead by itself." (James 2:14,17) Did you catch that? James makes it clear that works are what transforms the potential of faith into something real! In fact, James would say that if the potential of faith is not realized by a transformation into works, then there really is no potential...and, therefore, no real faith!
Now, before you get too upset and claim that to be a works based salvation, I'd like to remind you that someone else had something similar to say about the subject. In fact, it was James' half-brother, a fella by the name of Jesus, who said, "If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me will not obey my teaching." (John 14:23-24) So, according to Jesus obeying His teachings...or good works...are tantamount to having a real relationship with Him.
Do these works save you? By no means! You can't earn a right relationship with God by doing good. Works do, however, take the potential energy that is present in your faith and transform it into something real and demonstrable! So, good works are the realized potential of true faith! YOUR BEHAVIOR DEMONSTRATES YOUR TRUE BELIEFS! So, the question you've got to ask yourself, today, is, "How well are you living up to your true potential?"
I've been doing some studying in the area of "potential energy" this week. Did you know that the same amount of energy is present in each of the following? A bowling ball falling from 20 feet up, a bowling ball landing on your head after falling from 20 feet up, and a bowling ball sitting on a shelf 20 feet above your head. I know what you're thinking... "Wait a minute, how in the world is there as much energy present when that ball is sitting still as when it smacks me in the head?" Well, my friend, the answer is that while on the shelf its energy is in the form of potential energy! When the ball falls off the shelf its potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy...and, when it lands on you a good bit of that energy is transferred into your skull.
Think about how we use the word in other situations and it's clear what we really mean when we say someone or something has potential. What we mean is that all the ingredients needed for something great to happen are there...they just need the right circumstances to be realized.
Now, I know your wondering why all this talk about potential and potential energy. Well, as I've been studying on it, it's become clear to me that potential energy is, potentially, one of the best analogies we can find to explain true saving faith. Let's follow this course for a moment...
The letter to the Hebrews contains one of the most well-known explanations of faith in Scripture. It says that "faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen." (Hebrews 11:1) In other words, real faith carries immense potential because it's more than just hoping or wishing. Faith is knowing! And, really it's more than just knowing because true faith, inevitably, leads to something. Faith, with all of its amazing potential takes what can't be seen, namely belief in a great and wonderful God, and makes it real!
I realize that you may be wondering, at this point, "I believe that faith is real, but how is faith a real thing?" Enter James. James, the half-brother of Jesus, shows us how real faith finds its completion. In other words, he explains how the potential of faith is transformed into reality. In the letter bearing his name, he says the following, "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith, but does not have works? Can his faith save him? ... Faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead by itself." (James 2:14,17) Did you catch that? James makes it clear that works are what transforms the potential of faith into something real! In fact, James would say that if the potential of faith is not realized by a transformation into works, then there really is no potential...and, therefore, no real faith!
Now, before you get too upset and claim that to be a works based salvation, I'd like to remind you that someone else had something similar to say about the subject. In fact, it was James' half-brother, a fella by the name of Jesus, who said, "If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me will not obey my teaching." (John 14:23-24) So, according to Jesus obeying His teachings...or good works...are tantamount to having a real relationship with Him.
Do these works save you? By no means! You can't earn a right relationship with God by doing good. Works do, however, take the potential energy that is present in your faith and transform it into something real and demonstrable! So, good works are the realized potential of true faith! YOUR BEHAVIOR DEMONSTRATES YOUR TRUE BELIEFS! So, the question you've got to ask yourself, today, is, "How well are you living up to your true potential?"
Thursday, January 2, 2014
So...the verdict is...we're all jerks!
So, I came across an article today that was really kind of neat. It was a well written piece that outlined about 10 things in our universe that scientists can't explain. From the red storm that has been going on for about 400 years on Jupiter's surface to the presence of dark matter and random gamma bursts, this article discussed the fact that these things just can't be figured out. Then, it made a startling statement in saying (my paraphrase) that whenever we have two or more unkown forces at work, it's impossible to tell whether they are, in fact, distinct forces or if they are, possibly, two aspects of the same force. WOW!!!! Did you catch that? The folks in the article are actually talking about GOD and don't even realize it.
So, I sat there contemplating this revelation for a few moments and how they could possilby see all they see in the universe and be completely blown away by their inability to understand it and, yet, not go, "Hey, maybe all this stuff is the way it is because there's a God whom we can't quite understand, ourselves, who made it that way." Then it occurred to me...if these folks knew I was having such thoughts, they would probably think that I was very close-minded. I mean, listen to me, I'm looking at all this stuff out there that doesn't make sense and my ONLY explanation is, "Duh, guys, it's God!" How uneducated and simple I must sound to them. I go through life and anytime I come across something that doesn't make sense I chalk it up to God. From their perspective, I have got to be completely ignorant, lazy or maybe a little of both. Honestly, I've explored all the different theories that are out of there of who we are and how we got here and I've chosen to believe that God is what makes sense of it all. And, because I've made that choice, I have to admit that they are completely justified in labeling me as close minded. I decided that God makes more sense than not God.
So, I got to thinking about me and how a person from their point of view might think of me. And, I'll be honest...I began to not like me very much. In fact, I really kinda hated me and thought, "Hey, you jerk, what about science and all the smart people in the world who say 'boo' on God. Do you really think you're smarter than them, you lazy, uneducated, weak-minded redneck?" From their standpoint, I must look, sound and act kind of arrogant. Then I got to thinking about the me that I was being at the moment...you know the one who was thinking about the other me that was all, "Yeah, it's God!"...anyway, I got to thinking, "You know...if I'm on the other side of the coin (the one who says there's no God and that science has all the answers) and I'm saying there's no God, but that all these unexplained forces are just scientific phenomena that we just haven't explored enough to explain yet, I'm actually pretty close-minded too. "Why?" you might ask... Well, it's because I've made a choice too. I've chosen to believe that God DOESN'T make sense of it all. In fact, I've chosen to believe there is no God and that the reason I don't understand it all right now is because I don't have all the facts. In my mind, one day I'll have these facts and then I won't need that crutch for the weak-minded that the other me calls God.
So, I'm close-minded if I choose to believe in God and I'm close-minded if I choose not to believe in God because before any of us ever look at any of the facts, we've pretty much decided what we think about the existence or presence of a God. Close-mindedness has nothing to do with science or faith, it has to do with individuality!!!! As individuals, we choose the lens through which we will interpret the facts of the world around us. So, the truth is that, really, we're ALL close-minded. This explains why we never really have an open conversation about things we disagree on no matter how much we try to make a show of having open-minded dialogue. None of us go into such a conversation saying, "Eh, I'm ok with the other guy making me look like an idiot and/or that I don't have my facts straight...in fact, I kind of hope they prove me wrong." We all want to be right in what we think and believe and we want others to validate it so, inevitably, we are ALWAYS trying to bring other people to our side. I heard a quote today that really drove this home. It said something to the effect of "Everyone is being converted to something." Yep, many of our conversations are veiled attempts to persuade others to think about things our way. A lot of times, even when we're trying to understand another person's perspective on something, it's really just so we can better comprehend where they are so that we can find a more direct way to bring them over to our side. Now, I will admit there are times when we have not quite formed an opinion on a subject and we listen to what others have to say on the topic. However, the moment we have an informed and solid opinion guess what we become...that's right, pretty stinking close-minded on the issue!
So, all this close-mindness in humanity led me to thinking about the world and universe we live in and the thought struck me, "You know, this thing doesn't just apply to us humans. Truth is that the world is pretty close-minded itself. Like, even the laws of physics and stuff...that's some pretty close-minded junk!" Did you know that gravity doesn't care whether or not you agree with it? Seriously, close-minded little punk gravity will throw you to the ground no matter how you try to open its eyes to the fact that its always keeping you down! Water is another pain in the butt! No matter how conversational I try to be with water to get it to let go of its oxygen as it enters my lungs, that hard headed son of a gun is still gonna drown me. Close-minded, I tell ya! Did you know that carnivorous animals are pretty close-minded. Yeah, especially when you try to restrict them to a diet of only grass and leaves. I don't care how tame your little lion is (you may have suckled him with a bottle and raised him like your own child), but if all you feed that bad boy is kelp and grass clippings you better make dang sure you don't leave him alone in a room with your 2 year old fodder...I mean toddler! One more...I was at a church one time where a hurricane was headed towards the area. One lady in the church stood up and said, "Folks, what we need to do is go out to the beach and scream at this hurricane that it ain't coming our way. We can command it to go away." I had to consciously command myself not to laugh. Because we all know that hurricanes are pretty close-minded...they go where they want. Yep, Mother Nature is a rough ole gal. She really don't care what you think. She just does what she does, whether you like it or not! Close-minded, if you ask me!
So, I guess what I'm getting at in all this is...why can't we just all admit that close-mindedness is just a factual part of the world we live in? You're close-minded, I'm close-minded, we're all close-minded. Now, I know some of you will take offense at this. In fact, you're screaming at me, right now, "I'm not close-minded! I'm completely open-minded about things!" If that's you, let me ask one question...are you absolutely sure you're open-minded about things? If you are, then it sounds, to me, like you're close-minded to the possibility that you could be close-minded! I, on the other hand, am completely open-minded to the possibility that I am close-minded AND open-minded to the possibility that close-mindedness is most likely one of the important factors that makes the world go 'round.
So, now I'm pretty close-minded about the fact that it's time for me to get some sleep.
So, I sat there contemplating this revelation for a few moments and how they could possilby see all they see in the universe and be completely blown away by their inability to understand it and, yet, not go, "Hey, maybe all this stuff is the way it is because there's a God whom we can't quite understand, ourselves, who made it that way." Then it occurred to me...if these folks knew I was having such thoughts, they would probably think that I was very close-minded. I mean, listen to me, I'm looking at all this stuff out there that doesn't make sense and my ONLY explanation is, "Duh, guys, it's God!" How uneducated and simple I must sound to them. I go through life and anytime I come across something that doesn't make sense I chalk it up to God. From their perspective, I have got to be completely ignorant, lazy or maybe a little of both. Honestly, I've explored all the different theories that are out of there of who we are and how we got here and I've chosen to believe that God is what makes sense of it all. And, because I've made that choice, I have to admit that they are completely justified in labeling me as close minded. I decided that God makes more sense than not God.
So, I got to thinking about me and how a person from their point of view might think of me. And, I'll be honest...I began to not like me very much. In fact, I really kinda hated me and thought, "Hey, you jerk, what about science and all the smart people in the world who say 'boo' on God. Do you really think you're smarter than them, you lazy, uneducated, weak-minded redneck?" From their standpoint, I must look, sound and act kind of arrogant. Then I got to thinking about the me that I was being at the moment...you know the one who was thinking about the other me that was all, "Yeah, it's God!"...anyway, I got to thinking, "You know...if I'm on the other side of the coin (the one who says there's no God and that science has all the answers) and I'm saying there's no God, but that all these unexplained forces are just scientific phenomena that we just haven't explored enough to explain yet, I'm actually pretty close-minded too. "Why?" you might ask... Well, it's because I've made a choice too. I've chosen to believe that God DOESN'T make sense of it all. In fact, I've chosen to believe there is no God and that the reason I don't understand it all right now is because I don't have all the facts. In my mind, one day I'll have these facts and then I won't need that crutch for the weak-minded that the other me calls God.
So, I'm close-minded if I choose to believe in God and I'm close-minded if I choose not to believe in God because before any of us ever look at any of the facts, we've pretty much decided what we think about the existence or presence of a God. Close-mindedness has nothing to do with science or faith, it has to do with individuality!!!! As individuals, we choose the lens through which we will interpret the facts of the world around us. So, the truth is that, really, we're ALL close-minded. This explains why we never really have an open conversation about things we disagree on no matter how much we try to make a show of having open-minded dialogue. None of us go into such a conversation saying, "Eh, I'm ok with the other guy making me look like an idiot and/or that I don't have my facts straight...in fact, I kind of hope they prove me wrong." We all want to be right in what we think and believe and we want others to validate it so, inevitably, we are ALWAYS trying to bring other people to our side. I heard a quote today that really drove this home. It said something to the effect of "Everyone is being converted to something." Yep, many of our conversations are veiled attempts to persuade others to think about things our way. A lot of times, even when we're trying to understand another person's perspective on something, it's really just so we can better comprehend where they are so that we can find a more direct way to bring them over to our side. Now, I will admit there are times when we have not quite formed an opinion on a subject and we listen to what others have to say on the topic. However, the moment we have an informed and solid opinion guess what we become...that's right, pretty stinking close-minded on the issue!
So, all this close-mindness in humanity led me to thinking about the world and universe we live in and the thought struck me, "You know, this thing doesn't just apply to us humans. Truth is that the world is pretty close-minded itself. Like, even the laws of physics and stuff...that's some pretty close-minded junk!" Did you know that gravity doesn't care whether or not you agree with it? Seriously, close-minded little punk gravity will throw you to the ground no matter how you try to open its eyes to the fact that its always keeping you down! Water is another pain in the butt! No matter how conversational I try to be with water to get it to let go of its oxygen as it enters my lungs, that hard headed son of a gun is still gonna drown me. Close-minded, I tell ya! Did you know that carnivorous animals are pretty close-minded. Yeah, especially when you try to restrict them to a diet of only grass and leaves. I don't care how tame your little lion is (you may have suckled him with a bottle and raised him like your own child), but if all you feed that bad boy is kelp and grass clippings you better make dang sure you don't leave him alone in a room with your 2 year old fodder...I mean toddler! One more...I was at a church one time where a hurricane was headed towards the area. One lady in the church stood up and said, "Folks, what we need to do is go out to the beach and scream at this hurricane that it ain't coming our way. We can command it to go away." I had to consciously command myself not to laugh. Because we all know that hurricanes are pretty close-minded...they go where they want. Yep, Mother Nature is a rough ole gal. She really don't care what you think. She just does what she does, whether you like it or not! Close-minded, if you ask me!
So, I guess what I'm getting at in all this is...why can't we just all admit that close-mindedness is just a factual part of the world we live in? You're close-minded, I'm close-minded, we're all close-minded. Now, I know some of you will take offense at this. In fact, you're screaming at me, right now, "I'm not close-minded! I'm completely open-minded about things!" If that's you, let me ask one question...are you absolutely sure you're open-minded about things? If you are, then it sounds, to me, like you're close-minded to the possibility that you could be close-minded! I, on the other hand, am completely open-minded to the possibility that I am close-minded AND open-minded to the possibility that close-mindedness is most likely one of the important factors that makes the world go 'round.
So, now I'm pretty close-minded about the fact that it's time for me to get some sleep.
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