In this final trailer for the GO12: Santo Domingo documentary, Daniel Andrews captures an entire week of outreach in just under five minutes--helping us all to realize how the most important thing really is giving your time, energy, and heart to helping others realize the beautiful love of Christ. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zacBWhieLo4&w=560&h=315]
Daniel and I have been working on a short film documenting our recent trip to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic for over a month, and it is almost finished. We recently screened the nearly completed version with a few people who went on the trip and it was met with a warm reception. We are excited about getting it out there for more people to see. Written by Grant Jones one late night in Santo Domingo, this trailer captures the heart of what the film is about, leaving. I hope you enjoy the trailer.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBk-2FN4evY&w=560&h=315]
I am allergic to wasps. Not deathly so, not without a large number of stings, but I am allergic and tend to get quite sick when stung. Even so, when a wasp landed on my infant son today I swatted it away with my bare hand. Crushed it with my bare hand. Never once thinking about the potential consequences to myself. Why? My innate fatherly instinct to protect. God instantly used this moment to show me a bit about Himself. He has that same instinct to protect those that belong to Him. This is where (good) parents get that instinct, having been made in the image and likeness of God.
God does not derive His sense of protection from an outside source. The desire to protect is not so much a thing He experiences so much as it is a part of His nature. In other words, just as mercy, love, justice, and goodness are part of His being...so is protection. Being in Him, belonging to Him, comes with it the requisite existence of supernatural protection. This is not to say that harm will not come to believers, anyone can realize that. This protection extends beyond the natural to the spiritual realm, although it does from time-to-time have natural repercussions in this life.
God's ultimate protection is one where He keeps His kids close, in His presence throughout all of eternity. To cohabitate that great age of timelessness that our minds can't quite comprehend. To be free from both the wages of sin, and the allure of sin.
The most incredible thing about God's great protection is that He always knew the price for it. Where I reacted without regard for consequence in order to protect my son, God always knew the price that would be paid to reconcile our iniquity. Jesus is spoken of in Revelation as the "Lamb slain before the foundation of the world." Before "let there be light" or even "let there be" God was prepared to pay the price to protect His people. He created the system, the Law, that would need to be fulfilled, all the while knowing that it would demand death. Knowing only His death would undo that which we have, and continue, to do.
Life usually doesn’t fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. It doesn't really feel like it, but 2012 is already halfway over. I have a few thoughts and expectations concerning the remainder of the year and thought that I would share them. Understand that this is purely speculation on my part. I don't know the future. That's obvious. In six months I might be able to revisit this list and see that it is really obvious. Or it might be prove to have been frighteningly accurate. Here are my predictions for the second half of 2012.
1. The world will continue to get crazy, and the global economy will not substantially improve.
2. John Cusack will not save the world, but he might ride on a big metal boat.
3. Glee will remain the craptastic assault on our pop-culture senses we all either love or hate, but mostly hate.
4. People who watch the Total Recall remake will remember why Colin Farrell disappeared for a while.
5. Conspiracy Theorists and doomsingers will live to conspire another day as the Mayan Calendar rolls to an end, and the world keeps going.
6. Michael Jordan will still be the best basketball player that ever lived.
7. My son will walk, and talk.
8. I will make significant progress on my book and my Master's degree.
9. Mitt Romney will defeat President Obama in the presidential race. Many conservatives will claim it's a huge victory, but no one will really be that happy about it, except for Mormons, rich people, and hyper-sensitive culture warriors.
*note* I consider myself an independent conservative, but have a fairly low opinion of pretty much every presidential candidate that took the field this round.
10. Regardless of how the rest of this list turns out, Jesus will still be the one and only Savior, Redeemer, and hope for mankind.
Life usually doesn’t fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. It is a fact of life. We make decisions daily. Some of them are almost inconsequential while others are potentially life altering for ourselves and others. In the case of that latter kind, I'd like to offer ten tips that help me when faced with weighty decisions.
1. Weigh the pros and cons. Make a list. Jot them down. But remember, not all pros and cons are equal.
2. Prayer is important. If you aren't already doing that I'm not sure anything else on this list will help you. Remember, God is your Heavenly Father. Talking to Him about your choices should be like asking your earthly father, or someone you love and respect, for advice.
3. Get counsel. Not a lawyer (unless the situation calls for it). A key individual or small group of intelligent people you trust. Find someone that has faced a similar decision before. It's generally a good idea to ask people older than you if you don't have a lot of life experience. (If you're in college or younger, chances are you don't have a lot of life experience.)
4. What does the Bible say about it? Chances are that someone, somewhere, within those 31,103 verses faced a similar situation, if not the exact situation.
5. WWJD: "What would Jesus Do," it's a really old saying, but it's also a timeless litmus test for all believers that really can apply to every situation. Number 2 & 4 tend to make this one a lot easier.
6. Ask yourself what will help others. Is there an outcome that will greatly benefit others?
7. Ask yourself if it's selfish. It's ok to be selfish sometimes, but not every time, and certainly not to the point of self worship.
8. If this is a decision involving another party directly, such as in a job or relationship situation, ask them direct questions and get direct answers. Don't be fooled by noncommittal responses. Find out their expectations and make yours known.
9. Some people say not to trust your gut, I disagree. What most people call "gut feelings" I actually believe are promptings from the Holy Spirit. As Christians we believe that God made us, and He lives in our hearts. Why would we not trust that? Just remember, feelings and emotions are a speedometer not a steering wheel.
10. Find out what other people who were faced with a similar decision did. Robert Frost was a great writer, but he was also kind of an idiot. Sometimes the road is less travelled because bad things lie down that path.
A lot of people in our country are mad these days. I don't find that very helpful. In fact, that seems to me to actually be kind of dangerous. Instead I get a little sad about the current state of this United States. Because where madness usually drives people to take crazy action; a sadness borne of deep affection usually drives believers to loving action and dedicated prayer. There are a lot of things about our country that make me sad. It's mostly because I love it so much. I think the best way to describe it, is that it's like watching a very dear friend go through difficult times, and feeling as though you are largely unable to help them out. I just mostly feel powerless to do anything about it, but I know that I can pray, and I do, and will continue to. These are just a few things I'm sad about.
I am sad because I think our nation has lost a lot of the selflessness that once made us wonderful.
I am sad because the Democrats want to give everything away, and I fear we will not survive it.
I am sad because the Republicans are stingy beyond reason, or compassion.
I am sad because both parties act like spoiled little brats.
I am sad because bi-partisanship has died in the last decade.
I am sad because the words "Tea Party" used to mean something great before its recent scary revitalization and rebranding.
I am sad because our political system is a rotten quagmire of crooked career politicians, more interested in currying favor and power, than in helping people.
I am sad because our country's moral compass takes its bearing from the relativist fickle masses rather than objective truth.
I am sad because we are turning into a nation of cynics, talking heads, and "reality" TV, and I am trying not to fall into any of those categories (it's not easy).
I am sad because every time a stranger looks at my son I think about how I can protect him from them if they turn out to be a psycho or pedophile.
I am sad because in a nation of so much, so many have so little.
I am sad because schools no longer teach kids how to think, they try to teach them how to test.
I am sad because shame is an antiquated idea.
I am sad because we are addicted to ourselves.
I am sad, because sometimes that is more helpful than being mad.
Blogs in this series: Red: the Sacrifice White: the Innocence Blue: the Sadness
Since returning home nearly a month ago Daniel and I have been hard at work editing the footage we filmed from the trip. We're hoping to roll out a fully produced documentary within the next couple of months, but in the meantime, here is a small teaser. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSntqG0Y6Is&w=853&h=480]
To read more about GO12 see one of these stories. Challenges Going Learning Jordan Hearing Doing Grant Dakota Home
I was watching The Munsters with my nephew and brother-in-law this weekend. It was great. It had been so long since I had watched it, that I had forgotten what a wholesome, family friendly, show it was. It made me start to think about a lot of things that seem to have grown dirty and soiled over the years. TV definitely, but I think in general our pop-culture has certainly lost its innocence. Hearing yesterday's big news on the passing of TV legend Andy Griffith was for me, like so many others, a proverbial nail in the coffin.
In the aftermath of the very sad news I was watching an interview with the classy Matlock star the night he was inducted into the Hall of Fame some time ago. The interviewer questioned Andy about his opinion on the "modern" state of TV. I found his answer to be a sad commentary. In short, he had stopped watching TV long ago, really only preferring the news if he watched at all. A public indictment from Mayberry's humble Sheriff is quite the statement on the condition of entertainment in America.
I'm not some ultra-conservative fundamentalist here to bemoan all aspects of media and entertainment. There are still a few decent programs you can watch. It just takes some research and censorship on our part to find them. Particularly for me, I find myself watching less and less television all the time. My chief sources for entertainment have shifted to books and film, where I am incredibly critical and careful of both. (I recently greatly enjoyed seeing Brave and John Carter.)
Growing up through the 80s the TV landscape was vastly different than today. The Andy Griffith Show reruns I used to watch have been replaced by really crappy reality TV, vitriol spewing news networks, and filthy "comedy".
Traditionally the color white has always stood for purity, wholesomeness, and innocence. This 4th of July, as my wife and I stay indoors to watch movies together (The Vow, Patriot, and Captain America) I am wishing that were still the case.
Blogs in this series: Red: the Sacrifice White: the Innocence Blue: the Sadness
Life usually doesn’t fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. I really love this country. My heritage goes deep. I'm part Native American, and part English immigrant, but one way or another my family was here from the very beginning of this great nation. I've always been patriotic, as anyone that knows me well at all can tell you. Here are ten things I love about this wonderful land we live in.
1. The Bill of Rights is pretty awesome. Owning guns and being able to read the free press are WIN scenarios any way you slice it.
2. Captain America. I don't believe that requires any further explanation.
3. Charity; people all across the board like to point fingers and gripe about everything from entitlement, perceived socialism, welfare, deficits, and stinginess, but facts are facts. The U.S.A. Is the most charitable country on the Earth both inside and outside its borders. Whatever side of the political aisle you find yourself on, next time you want to gripe about charity, you would do well to remember that once upon a time that word actually meant LOVE and not HANDOUT.
4. Creativity; thinking and doing are appreciated in a myriad of ways. We aren't the only creative culture around, but we manage it with a sense of style that is uniquely American.
5. Freedom of Expression; some people choose to exercise this particular freedom like bone-headed-nincompoops, but that is their prerogative. For every flag burning moron out there, there are an army of sensible artists ready to wow us with their beautiful minds.
6. Protection; if you come to my house and threaten the life of my family, I will kill you, and it will be legal.
7. Natural Beauty; this is a remarkably beautiful place. I can drive less than an hour from my home and see sights that take my breath away.
8. Military; we have the most powerful armed forces in the world, and it's made up entirely of volunteers.
9. Capitalism; for the most part I decide where my money goes. Do I want to buy seventy bags of Corn Chips? That would be ridiculous, but if I want to I can...or I can buy a pile of ground beef and grill burgers for my family. Not everyone handles this freedom responsibly, and plenty of people wish they had a little more wealth to be (ir)responsible for/with; but if you have it, it's yours to do with as you please, or as your conscience dictates.
10. Worship; I've been reading a lot of stories lately about churches in my movement facing violent persecution around the world. I can sleep easy knowing no one is going to come into my home and attack me for my faith...but if they do I can always fall back on number 6 (Kidding! Kind of.)
I don't worship America. What a funny way for an American pastor, and US Missionary, especially one that professes to be so incredibly patriotic, to start off a blog right? Well, I just felt like I needed to come right out and say it. There is a sad kind of fervent religious nationalism I continuously sense in the American church, at least here in the South. Sometimes it borders on idolatrous. Sometimes, it is just plain idolatry.
Jesus didn't die for America, He died for the world; and as much as I love both Jesus, and America, those are two very different focuses for two very different levels of affection. Even though Jesus didn't die exclusively for America, there have been thousands of men and women who did die exclusively for America. I don't worship them. I don't worship their sacrifice, or even the incredible freedoms it has bought me, but I do honor them. I do remember them. I do thank them.
For me, when I think of the red, white, and blue that has come to mean so much to me over the years--the red is a constant reminder of all the blood that was spilled making this nation what it is today. Some of it was spilled unjustly and serves as a sad reminder, as when the Native Americans and African slaves were treated cruelly and often murderously by zealous settlers or tyrant land owners. Some of it was spilled innocently, as when terrorists threatened and attacked our civilian population. And some of it was spilled valiantly, as when brave men, women, and sometimes children, took up arms to galvanize the hope for democracy for another generation.
No, I don't worship America, but I am thankful for all whose blood paved the way for mine and my family's freedom. And though this country is not a recipient of my worship, it is a focus for my pride. Join me this week in honoring those whose sacrifice made the possibility of our freedom a reality we enjoy daily.
Here are a few stats on the number of combat related deaths from ten of our wars. 1. World War II - 291,557 2. Civil War - 212,938 3. World War I - 53,402 4. Vietnam War - 47,355 5. Korean War - 33,746 6. Revolutionary War - 8,000 7. War on Terror - 4,977+ 8. War of 1812 - 2,260 9. Mexican–American War - 1,733 10. Northwest Indian War - 1,221
Blogs in this series: Red: the Sacrifice White: the Innocence Blue: the Sadness
When my son goes to sleep he doesn't first stop to consider where he is, what is going on around him, or where he might be headed. If he is sleepy he does one of two things; he either tries to fight off sleep and becomes irritable and cranky, or he just eases straight into rest. As anyone who has ever cared for a small child can probably tell you, they can sleep pretty much anywhere so long as they bypass, or make it through, that irritable restless phase my wife calls "running from the sleep monster".
The seventh verse of the thirty-seventh Psalm begins with this phrase, "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him..."
Often I find myself getting antsy and fidgety when it comes to expecting something from God, but the proper response in such a situation is to simply wait, or rest, in Him. But like so many others, I am often not content to wait--sometimes going so far as to think that I can somehow help God in the situation. What actually usually happens is that I make myself miserable. Instead of resting in His promise, or on His Word, I manufacture a path of my own choosing. I often walk into what I can see or where I can comfortably understand the way that lies before me. This is folly.
When my son finally gives in to sleep it doesn't matter where he is. He sleeps. And He LOVES it, if he can sleep in mommy or daddy's arms. God is not the "sleep monster". We gain nothing by ignoring His call for us to rest in Him. Take a breath. Relax. Turn your anxiety, worry, and stress over to the Loving Heavenly Father who is far more qualified to handle all your cares. Rest in Him.
Life usually doesn’t fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. It's not all that uncommon to hear someone bemoan their life. I feel like a pretty blessed guy so I thought I would share why I feel that way. Thanks for checking out the blog!
1. I have a beautiful baby boy. He's twelve weeks old as of yesterday.
2. I have an incredible wife, she is absolutely the love of my life, and our marriage is very healthy.
3. I love my job. It's not perfect, and I'm not wealthy, but it enables me to live out my calling, and get paid doing it; and at the of the day I usually feel pretty satisfied knowing I'm living for a purpose bigger than my own greed or selfishness.
4. I own my own copy of the Bible.
5. I'm self aware, not like a deranged robot from cheesy sci-fi, but I have a pretty good take on who I am. I try to regularly evaluate myself, and invite people close to me do the same. If something needs to change, I make an effort to change.
6. I can read.
7. I grew up in a nuclear family. My parents weren't, and aren't, perfect, but they are pretty close. They are the most selfless-tender-hearted people I have ever met.
8. I learned both; the power of imagination, and the worth of critical thinking at an early age, and then I started using them.
9. I am blessed with some incredible friends--guys that I am so close to, they feel like family.
10. Probably the most important reason why I feel blessed is not because I am good but because God is good. I haven't hit on the magic formula for how much money to put in the offering. I haven't figured out the number of good deeds I have to do in a day. In fact I really have no idea why I feel so blessed. All I know is it must have something to do with the goodness of God and very little to do with me.
Saturday I posted a brief quote from Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller on my facebook status. It sparked some interesting conversation that I felt like preserving and sharing here. The following is completely unedited except for the names, which I am only editing because I didn't ask for the permission to use their names, and it only seemed like the proper courteous thing to do.
(My original facebook post): The truth is we are supposed to love the hippies, liberals, and Democrats. God wants us to think of them as more important than ourselves.J: I don't care for none of the above. I love them in Christ but would have a hard time holding a conversation with them. I would prefer hippies since at least they are high and laid back. Liberals are loud and misguided. Especially ones that say I'm a Christian and a liberal democrat. I don't think you can vote for a baby killing, gay marriages approving party and run back to the cross. The Lord forgives us yes, but we need to live the life. Being associated with a party that believes that way is WRONG. I will not be friends or hang out with liberals even ones that are family.
Me: I'm curious, how does someone "love someone in Christ" if they are unwilling even to partake in conversation, one of the most basic and harmless points of human connection? Love isn't an abstract idea that we can simply claim to adhere to under religious pretext, it is a continuing state of unselfish caring, serving, and giving. Love in this is a lot like faith, you can say have faith, just as you say you have love, or you can demonstrate both at once through your actions.
J: I'm speaking of liberal Christians that are "saved". I try to talk to them about politics such as abortion, war on Christianity, and gun control. All I here is I can be a liberal and not believe in that. Or the big one is the gay argument that under the blood being gay is ok. All talk about gay being a sin is old testament. I like helping lead the lost to Christ, but it is hard when so many "Christians" have absolutely no morals. You can't pick and choose what part of the word to obey. I love a lot of people I don't talk to(see some of my family). So loving and liking are different, not mutually exclusive.
Me: I haven't learned how to love people without liking them yet, maybe someday, maybe not.
K: The truth is were supposed to love self righteous rednecks, conservatives, and republicans. Even though it can be hard at times.
L: The truth is, if "labels" keep us from loving someone, we aren't seeing them through Christ's eye. Gal 3:28
Me: And I'm pretty sure I fit into at least two of those categories most of the time!
D: Some people have to be loved from a distance. I think sometimes loving others simply means living out the Christian life within their view, and praying for them.
Me: Loving people from a distance might be possible, or even occasionally necessary, but I definitely think it is the exception and not the rule. Everything about God's love, and this Gospel that we put our hope in, revolves around the premise of God leaving heaven, to become a man. While a man Jesus modeled active involved love. He got in people's lives, often through very humbling circumstances. He loved others to the point of death, and as His follower I don't believe I have the right to do anything less.
C: As a Christian, I think the hardest to love are the Christians.
So, that's it in a nutshell. I posted this because I think it highlights a few issues that are really important for us to think about. How much are we willing to love those who are drastically different than us? Is it possible to love someone and not "like" them? I don't think it is, and personally I believe that we don't have the option of not loving people, or liking them. I'm not saying it's always easy. Heaven help me (literally) there are a few people in my family, a certain ridiculous aunt comes to mind, that make it difficult. But for those of us who claim to adhere to the Christian faith by following the teachings of Jesus, I don't think we have an option. I don't believe that God allows us an "exceptions" list. It has been my experience that if I am having trouble liking someone, it is because they have offended me in some way. It has also been my experience that if I am in any way offended, it is because I have too much pride in an area of my life.
I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please sound off in the comments section below.
Last year for Father's Day I was in Ecuador. We were in this tiny little cinder block church with one fading loud speaker. It was my first time to experience an international worship service. It was a great experience. In the year since, I've become a father myself, and Father's Day means so much more. The following is a blog I wrote and shared last year while in Ecuador. It is a small excerpt from the book "Jesus Among Other Gods" by Ravi Zacharias. While reading it I felt that it was a great piece to share in light of Fathers' Day. The excerpt is followed by some of my own personal thoughts.
"A few years ago, a former Olympic athlete came to visit me. He was looking for some direction in his life. He was a strong and solidly built man. It was a privilege to be around him--just in the hopes that muscles were contagious!
He told me of the time he was representing his country at the Olympics. It was a story of dreams that had struggled against a potential nightmare. From the age of twelve, the Olympics had been all he labored for. He had put every penny he earned and every purchase he made into someday becoming a gold medalist in the event he loved. He was totally focused. This is what he wanted. But he had a very turbulent relationship with his father, who had no interest in this dream of his, and, therefore, he had funded every penny himself.
When he was only seventeen, he filmed the world champion in the event for which he was training and broke down his every stride, frame by frame, to study his technique. He then had himself filmed in the same distance and matched it, stride for stride. By precisely piecing together where he was losing the precious seconds to the world champion, he determined to bridge the gap. Through sheer willpower, discipline, and courage, his goal was within reach.
He made the cut for his country's team, and life was suddenly like being atop a floating cloud. He won every heat and was emerging as the surprise and potential winner when the finals came. Was this a dream or was it real? No, it was real, he reminded himself.
He was at the starting point for the finals, and his nation was watching. Millions were cheering for him, and hearts were racing, expecting this 'country-boy-makes-it-big' story to hit the headlines the next day. In fact, I remember watching the event. The gun was about to go off, signaling the start. This was the moment he had waited for most of his life. But the mind with all it's tenacity and resoluteness is also a storehouse of unuttered yearnings.
'From out of nowhere,' he said, 'an unexpected thought suddenly flooded my mind--I WONDER IF MY FATHER IS WATCHING ME.'
That unanticipated thought momentarily overcame him and may have added a fraction of a second to his first two strides, robbing him of the gold. With great credit, he still won the bronze. The third fastest in the world is no mean accomplishment. Yet, to him, the victory on the track lost it's luster when measured against the deeper yearnings of his life--the approval of the ones you love. Little did this Olympian know how my heart was beating as he shared this story with me. I understood him well.
Young dreams may be wild ones, but they are never corrected by ridiculing them. They must be steered by a loving voice that has earned the right to be heard, not one enforced by means of power. This is a very difficult lesson for parents to learn. And, as cultures lose their restraining power, there will be greater need for mutual love and respect between parents and children if a relationship of trust is to be built, rather than banking on authority because of position."
This Father's Day I am overjoyed by the reality of fatherhood. It is better than I could have ever imagined. Also, I'm grateful for an earthly father that never squashed my dreams. I never once had to wonder if he was watching because he was always there to cheer me on in my accomplishments or correct me with great grace and patience through my many-many failures.
I'm also infinitely thankful for a Heavenly Father who has shaped me in my peculiar uniqueness, equipped me for big dreams, measured the distance of my faults by the rule of His mercy, and guided my every step by the light of His Word.
"The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God." - Romans 8:16 NASB
Life usually doesn’t fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. Finals are over. Grades will post in the next twenty four hours. Summer is here.
Summer is always a mixed bag for me. I love it because it means more family time, more time to relax, and more time to indulge in my hobbies. The relaxed schedule just seems to make the days seem as though they have a little more openness to them. Of course, summer break also means separation from my students which is refreshing at the outset because it allows for a chance to relax and recharge, it is also heart wrenching because they are why I love my job.
It will be August before I see most of them again. Here are ten things I plan to do between now and then.
1. Read a lot of good books.
2. Finish Skyrim.
3. Spend a lot of time with my family.
4. Record my first studio album.
5. Travel to the Dominican Republic with an awesome group of student missionaries.
6. Make something with my hands.
7. Finish section two of the book.
8. Swim
9. Watch Avengers, Dark Knight Rises, and The Amazing Spider-Man (not in 3D).
10. Prayerfully brainstorm the 12-13 academic year.
Can God lie? This is one of those types of questions which you might find yourself trying to answer were you to ever engage in a lengthy apologetic conversation with a skeptic. I have to admit, it's not a question that I have ever given much thought, but just the same--the Bible provides us with a definitive answer, even if it is not an elaborate one. Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago, but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior, To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. (Titus 1:1-4 NASB, emphasis added)
Paul, in this brief introductory portion of his letter to Titus, states very plainly that God cannot lie, and as I mentioned before its not an elaborate answer. Neither is it a question that needs an elaborate answer, but I do feel like I might have some small understanding of why God cannot lie. Of course, to engage in this line of thought is to at the same time answer the question as to why God would ever need to lie--the answers to both are tied quite neatly together.
God cannot lie, nor does He need to, because any way that He chooses to communicate to His people is true. If He says it, it is. This is why when Moses asks God in the Book of Exodus, "who should I tell them sent me?" God simply refers to Himself as "I AM". Moses, and us as well, are sorely incapable of really grasping what or who exactly God might be, at least in an easily definable way. So God makes it easy for Moses.
He exists. He is. He is the God that changes not. The Immortal I AM. The same yesterday, today, and forever. He is our Alpha and Omega, that is our entire existence is contained within His sovereign infinitude.
God cannot lie because there can be no truth apart from Him.
Life usually doesn’t fit into nice neat little lists, but that doesn’t keep me from trying. Welcome to my Tuesday 10, where I try to fit the messiness of life into a list of ten. Late again this week, but who's keeping track. We could all stand a little more awesomeness in our life. Here are ten ways to make it happen. Many of these are things I am trying to do, have done, or want to do soon. Thanks for reading and sharing.
1. Do something generous. Ex: buy a $30 Starbucks gift card and have the barista use it on as many consecutive orders as it will pay for. Watch and enjoy the kindness induced confusion from your seat as you enjoy your caramel late.
2. Learn something you don't know how to do.
3. Teach it to someone else.
4. Stop overindulging.
5. Read a non fiction book.
6. Turn off the TV in your house for a week/month/forever.
7. Have regular meaningful conversations with the important people in your life.
8. Stop demonizing people you don't agree with, even if they are idiots.
9. Stop thinking you're awesome and especially stop trying to tell people how awesome you are.
10. Get in shape. Your body deserves it.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 The first time I memorized those words I was the lead in my church's Christmas play, and I was just a little kid. It was a fun play. I was really young, but I enjoyed my role. I never forgot those words, but it was only during my teenage years (when the infamous wrestler Steve Austin coined his trademark Austin 3:16) that I realized how well known this verse was. And then a couple of years ago Tim Tebow put the reference in his face paint during the NCAA National Football Championship game. Google reported 92 million searches for John 3:16 during and immeditely following the game.
My point is that this is an incredibly familiar passage. One that has made its way into our culture in a variety of ways over the years. For me, it's a verse that I have read, quoted, written, and heard probably thousands of time in my thirty-plus years, but it wasn't until recently that I actually understood it at all. I mean, people have been telling me for years what it is supposed to mean. I have even told others what it is supposed to mean. I've blogged about it, preached about it, designed t-shirts utilizing it, and broadcast it--but; even though I've been a Christian for over half of my life, it's never really been much more than some evangelical mantra we like to bandy about as we proselytize those around us. It is so much more than that.
I had a good family life growing up, and consider that actuality an incredible blessing knowing that to be more the exception than the rule these days. Because of my home life, grasping the notion of being a son of God, like the Bible teaches, was never much of a stretch for me. It was an easy part of the faith for me to comprehend, believe, and communicate. It's only within the last month, and to a lesser extent the previous nine, that I began to be able understand the Gospel from a Father's perspective.
And that brings me back to John 3:16. This verse we've probably all heard so much. As familiar as it is, it is incredibly challenging, confusing, and wonderful. God loved you and I so much that He gave away His only son. I can tell you right now, I could never do that. It doesn't matter who we are talking about: my best friend, my wife, my mom, brother, students, anyone...everyone. If given a choice to save them and yet condemn my child there is no real choice. My child gets first priority every time.
But God, being infinitely sovereign and immeasurably wise, contrived a means by which He could give up His own son to excruciating torture, so that He might open the way to redemption and restoration for all of His sons...and not only did the one die to save the rest, but the firstborn of all creation rose again through the power of the Father.
I'm going to do the best I can in this life to be the best father that I can be, but only God the Father can give and save at the same time. Incredible.
3,679 people were asked to complete the statement, "I am a Christian because . . . " this is a collection of some of their responses. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DbOf-GDaaw]
Have you ever heard the term "slacktivism"? Perhaps not, but it is essentially a mash-up of slacker and activism. It is the common practice of taking a stance on a somewhat controversial issue or throwing your digital weight behind a cause via your social media accounts. In principle it is the notion of investing in a cause with little to no risk to yourself. We see this kind of thing crop up regularly in our fast paced social media driven culture. Already this year we've witnessed Kony 2012, No Shoes Day, and with the 2012 Presidential race under way, we will no doubt be subjected to at least a few dozen more before the ballots are cast in November.
In my opinion slacktivism is mostly harmless, it's silly, but it's pretty harmless. But the principle at work behind it is why I'm writing tonight.
I can't even begin to count how many times in a day my social media feeds are clogged with this same kind of feeble carbon copy content regurgitated into the world wide web by purported Christians. "Jesus Memes" are the worst. They take some kind of important theological truth, simplify it to the point of silliness, and blast it onto the wall of every well-meaning believer that is not quite up to par with their social media etiquette.
Who are we trying so very hard to convince with all that wanton posting of flowers, lambs, and Jewish caricatures? Its cheap, it cost us nothing. What's worse, it's so poorly contrived and pitifully rendered that it reinforces every ugly stereotype that exists involving the inherent inadequacy of "Christian art".
How about instead of just rehashing someone else's goofy pic, or groan inducing creed, we spend a few moments in quiet reflection and actually do something that will draw us closer to the Father. If we really love God so much maybe He deserves a little more out of us than a placeholder pic on our timeline or to be "liked" on Facebook.
The Christian faith is much more than a passing activist cause. It requires, and offers, more than a temporary connection for allegiance. It's price, is a paradox of worth, deserving of our undivided allegiance, and total investment.
