Walking By

One of the things that we need to do is point people towards hope. If I discover the greatest thing ever and don’t tell anyone, how terrible a person am I? The greatest hope that I have discovered is that life is worth living. It is not a random series of chances, a mistake of nature or a short time of life then nothing. I can tell you the truth based on what has happen to me. The personal experience is always the best. Things sound great when you read about them or if you are told about them. They take on a whole new dimension when you are being told by the person that did it. Or even better, you are the person with the personal experience. To be able to tell people about what you have experienced. What you are totally and completely convinced of because it happen to you, is one of the greatest feelings in the world. But I do understand how difficult that can be. Especially, if you feel that you are the outsider, the one that is different form the norm. We have long been told that people don’t care what you know until they know that you care.

I think that a lot of times people wonder what can they do. They are poor, insignificant, average, here instead of there. I know I have, and I am thinking most people have, come up with various excuses to not do something.

When was the last time you showed someone that you cared? Did you let that annoying person at work talk to you for 30 minutes and you managed to not roll your eyes? Did you return the smile of that person you saw at the store or did you just continue walking, eyes forward, not looking around, no acknowledging those that you are sharing the earth with?

“God wanders among us in human form, speaking to us in those who cross our paths, be they stranger, beggar, sick, or even in those nearest to us in everyday life, becoming Christ’s demand on our faith in him.”

                                                                                                            Dietrich Bonhoeffer

If we fail to help or even extend kindness to those we see or have a chance to interact with, are we failing in our faith? If Christ stands at the door and knocks do we answer or turn up the volume on the TV?

What about your life this week, or better yet, today? Have you reached out in some way, shape or form to those around you?

There He is.

"Jesus stands at the door and knocks, in complete reality. He asks you for help in the form of a beggar, in the form of a ruined human being in torn clothing. He confronts you in every person that you meet. Christ walks on the earth as your neighbor as long as there are people. He lives in the form of the person in our midst. Will you keep the door locked or open it to him?" – Deitrich Bonhoeffer

I wrote a short time back about helping others. In that entry I asked if you looked for ways to help all the time. Do you just wait for the next advertised tragedy to strike? Do you think it is better to teach them how to do or do it for them?

Reading the above quote it almost makes me rethink or at least want to clarify and direct the thinking in a new way.  The scripture used to start the above quote is Matthew 25:34, “For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you invited Me in.” I know it is easy to ignore or “forget” about the tragedy that happens around the world, whether tidal waves, earthquakes, wars, famine. It is a little harder to forget about the tragedy happening next door, Hurricanes, floods, fires. What about those you see on the street corner on your way to church? The person that is sitting outside the grocery store and begging for food? I realize that some of those people are scamming you or trying to get support a drug or alcohol habit. But aren’t there ways to avoid giving them cash. Is it really that hard to give them some actual food? Is it hard to actually hand someone a blanket, give them a ride to the shelter, and smile at them? I think it is really easy to focus on the big things, the earthquake victims in the Far East, the child being sold into sex slavery in Asia, the homeless and starving in Africa. But what about the not so sensationalized here in your neighborhood or school, your street?

Just like starting your walk with Jesus as your personal savior, it is the little steps that shape the journey. If you can’t, won’t or just don’t see the “Jesus” right around you how can you help others else where.

I heard someone describe a missionary outpost as a pebble thrown into a body of water. The ripples spread out and affect everything it touches. Well, where do you think the pebble comes from? It comes from here, from you. You need to be what is thrown out in to the water, you need to make the ripples, and you need to affect everything you touch.

Do you try to help the local community? Do you feel that it is often overlooked and that all the focus is spent on the latest big tragedy? Tell me what you think.

Church all the time.

Have you ever gone to an event that happens to be full of Christians and the person speaking starts to preach instead of explaining, talking or teaching?

I have experienced that often. I think most of the time it is our own fault. We either ask someone that is a pastor or someone that wants to be a pastor. So they automatically start to preach when they have an audience of more than one. And, I mean, we are at a Christian function, so you can't really complain. Can you?

The other day I was at just such an event and the person speaking has been a pastor for 30+ years. And he is now an official in the denomination I am part of. So this was a double whammy! He started out talking about a particular subject and like all good speakers he became passionate about the subject. He even got a little choked up and wet-eyed a few times.

While I was sitting there doodling, I noticed the rest of the room's reaction to what he was saying. It became church, and I didn't feel like I was invited. Suddenly you would hear the Sunday morning sermon responses, such as, "Ummm...Yes" or "Wow, wow" with the tight-lipped head nod included with it. There was the oh so great whispered "Yes". I had to look around to see if we were still in the same room where everything had started. I was waiting for the speaker to ask the worship leader to come up and start singing a David Crowder song. It was ... awkward. At least for me. I guess the problem was, when I go to church for a church service, I expect a church service. When I go to a business meeting I expect business discussions, if I go to a planning meeting, I expect to do some planning and if I attend a class I expect some teaching.

Now that I write this down and read it, I am not so sure I like what I just said. It makes me feel a little cold and hard. Shouldn't I be happy that God permeates everything that Christians are associated with? Or is this an example of being too heavenly minded to be any earthly good? Is this the reason the church is getting left behind when it comes to innovation or being influential upon society?

What do you think? Do we need to focus on what we are doing at a particular moment in time? Or is it cool, great and awesome that everything we do turns into a church service?

Teach a man to fish...

There has been a lot of talk for the last few years about helping people in your local community and by extension helping people in the world community as well. I feel so relevant saying ‘world community’. But you need to realize that this is not something new. There has always been a push to help the least fortunate. I know it has come to the forefront due to the emphasis placed on it by the media, so it is more in your face than ever before. I have always enjoyed helping out people that need the help but I also enjoy teaching and I think that is the big difference between why and how people help others.

Japan has just had a great tragedy and people are turning out to help. Last year when the earthquake hit Haiti the outpouring of support and help was massive and overwhelming. Like was the tsunami in Indonesia several years ago and Katrina in New Orleans. When people see tragedy and they have the opportunity to help they will. I do think it is as important or even more important to help those that can’t help themselves out side of natural catastrophes. The young girls caught in the sex industry overseas, victims of human trafficking, people that don’t have clean water and on and on.

I truly applaud those that reach out and help those in a lifestyle of tragedy, not just what for the next natural tragedy to occur. And this is where this current thought is taking me. I prefer to teach and show how to get out of that tragedy instead of just constantly doing it for you. For instance, this is how you dig a well and maintain it, here are the supplies to build 30 more, go teach everyone you can find. Here is how you can protect yourself or learn a skill that can keep you from having to turn to the sex industry in order to earn money so you can eat. I am not naive enough to think that if I teach you a skill that all of your problems go away, but I do believe that it can definitely help. We all, no matter where you are from or who you are, want to be able to do things for ourselves.

What about you? Do you look for ways to help all the time? Do you just wait for the next advertised tragedy to strike? Do you think it is better to teach them how to do or do it for them?

He said what?

A few post back I mentioned how much I like to read, (C.S. who?). But also I love to listen to music. I listen to it whenever I am reading, working, cooking, just chilaxing. At my day job, I have to listen to music in order to concentrate on some of the more intricate functions of that job. When I accepted Christ as my savior I had to re-think my music choices. There were some things I listened to that were not good for a baby Christian to listen to. Fortunately I was able to find some music that appealed to me, (Thank you Randy Shepard). Since that time, my musical taste of not really changed all that much, I still dislike the majority of “Christian” music and the only praise music I own is stuff given to me by other people. Now I am in no way telling you out there to not listen to praise music or enjoy Christian music. I am just stating my own preferences and tastes.

I know that is a bad thing, right, but I am being honest and that is important. Recently I started listening to a band called Brand New and they have a song called Jesus Christ. I do not automatically gravitate to a song because it mentions God or Jesus or the wind that blows through my soul. Usually the song is sacrilegious and reprehensible. But, listening to this song I was struck by two things. The first, the writer of this song, which is the singer and attended a Christian high school, is looking, seeking, asking for an answer to some deep questions. The second thing is that a whole lot of people would thing that this song is soooooo wrong.  Below are the lyrics, I hope I don’t get in trouble for this. I am giving them credit for the song.

“Jesus Christ, that's a pretty face, The kind you'd find on someone that could save, If they don't put me away, It’ll be a miracle. Do you believe you're missing out? That everything good is happening somewhere else, But with nobody in your bed, The night is hard to get through. And I will die all alone, And when I arrive I won’t know anyone. Well, Jesus Christ, I’m alone again, So what did you do those three days you were dead?, Because this problem's gonna last, More than the weekend. Well, Jesus Christ I’m not scared to die, I’m a little bit scared of what comes after, Do I get the gold chariot, Do I float through the ceiling. Do I divide and fall apart, Cause my bright is too slight to hold back all my dark, This ship went down in sight of land, And at the gates does Thomas ask to see my hands? I know you'll come in the night like a thief, But I’ve had some time alone to hone my lying technique, I know you think that I’m someone you can trust, But I’m scared I’ll get scared and I swear I’ll try to nail you back up (everyone now), So do you think that we could work out a psalm, So I’ll know it's you and that it's over so I won't even try, I know you'll come for the people like me, But we all got wood and nails, And talk dirt at hating factories, But, we all got wood and nails, And talk dirt at hating factories, Yeah, we all got wood and nails, And we sleep inside of this machine”

Now, to me this is a person that is asking if he can be helped. Is Jesus big enough to take care of his problem. He is questioning about how this help will come. He is asking questions about death and heaven and hell and he is being honest and saying that he is scared of letting Jesus take control of his life.

Now I know there are people that will say that he shouldn’t ask question like this or at least this way. But is God/Jesus/Holy Spirit offended or diminished if questions are asked or doubt is expressed. And if someone is not a believer but they are honestly seeking and asking, does it matter how they phrase the question? Does it matter if they say things that seem rude on the outside? Like a young child approaching a world leader or a personal hero of their parents and saying something about the gap in their front teeth. It is curiosity and personally as long as curiosity is displayed about God I have an extremely hard time shouting that down.

I don’t have a question for you this time, but I would love to hear your thoughts and I know at least one of my readers out there knows this song and I really want to hear what she thinks.

But they're so much better than me!

I am currently reading a book entitled, The Lost History of Christianity by Phillip Jenkins. The book talks of how strong and prevalent Christianity was in Asia from the Middle East, to India, China and even Japan, but eventually through various wars and conquest those churches were virtually wiped out. It is a fascinating story.

There is a point that he makes several times in the book about how a conquered people will often try to imitate their conquerors. In this case, those conquered by followers of Islam started to copy their conquerors. Now the reasons can be varied: the lack of a structured church, with ministers, schools and community or the fact that unless you converted to the conquerors belief system you were considered a second class citizen with virtually no rights or protections.

One of the reasons that is mentioned is the most compelling, I think. Do you switch to the conquerors belief system because, evidently, that is the one the God is really behind? According to the author, that was a compelling reason for many of the conversions. The fact that the Christian armies, navies and kingdoms were destroyed one after another without a significant victory for 400 centuries made many believe that Christianity was false or at least very weak. Why follow a religion that is getting kicked out of all the power of the known world?

Now of course, our mindset has changed quite a bit, at least here in the west. We don't think because we failed a decisive victory in Vietnam or Korea that the United States is following an incorrect policy, possibly the wrong way to fight but not that the United State's system of values and philosophy of freedom is wrong. Or because of the speed of wiping out armies in Iraq means that we are now following a correct or God approved policy. There are those that say we suffered the terrorists attack on 9/11 because of the sin of the country as a whole though. Those same people and others will say the same about Katrina in New Orleans or the Tsunami in India or even the earthquake/tidal wave/nuclear issue in Japan.

What do you say? Does God allow tragedy to strike a nation in order to bring that nation to heel? And on a more personal note, what about individuals? What about you? Do you have cancer, arthritis, suffer a job loss, because God is bringing you to heel. Is that the way He gets our attention? Is pain and discomfort the shout of God? The only way He can get our attention, much like how we raise our voice to get our kids to listen to us. And if you say yes, does that mean if I am following His path, doing as He wants everything is going to go great? And if it is Yes to one but no to the other, how do you reconcile that?

Tell me what you think.

Can we give GOD too much credit?

I was attending a class recently and before the class started we participated in a group devotional. Now, I do sometimes totally zone out during these, mostly because I am sitting there thinking about how much we could be actually learning if class would just start. But, I do try to listen. This particular time I actually made it on time and paid some attention to what was going on. The person leading the devotion started telling stories about different things in order to demonstrate the sovereignty and goodness of God.

He was driving in the car and felt as if God wanted them to sing a particular praise song. He couldn't remember all the lyrics, so after struggling to remember, he decided to listen to a sermon on a portable tape player that he had brought along from his church. As soon as the recording starts that praise song starts to play that he was just trying to remember. By the time the song ends, he pulls into a road-side restaurant to eat. He comes out, gets in the car, and presses play on the tape player...nothing happens. It won't play. So he goes on his way. The next day, he returns the tape player to his secretary and tells her that he doesn't know what happened but this tape player won't work anymore. She looks at the tape player, then looks at him and says, "This tape player has been broken for the past 2 years. We just haven't sent it off to be repaired."

Was that the hand of God?

He was in a foreign country and he didn't know how to speak that language and very few of the nationals there spoke English. After the service was over, he was out in the congregation praying with people. You don't need to speak their language in order to pray for someone. While doing that he felt compelled to speak to a particular couple. He approached them and asked if they spoke English. The man said no, and right at that time a little girl standing next to them said, "I speak English." So he was able to tell this couple what he felt God was wanting him to say because that little girl happened to be there.

Was that the hand of God?

He was walking around a certain city and someone approached him and handed him some papers about all the stuff Jesus did. He was a young preacher and always looking for new material so he was really excited thinking he had found a new source of inspiration. He talked to several of his colleagues about what he had been given, and none of them had heard about this stuff he had been handed. So he went to his favorite bookstore hoping to find out more about all these stories. He walks all around and can't find anything. As he goes to leave, he happens to look back over his shoulder into the bookstore and his eye is caught by a green book located on a turnstile. The book is facing away from him and just barely catches his eye. He walks back in and picks up the book. The title of the book is, Great Biblical Hoaxes. He opens the book and inside he finds where it talks about the very same thing he was handed and how it is totally fake.

Was that the hand of God?

God is the author of all that is good. And the Bible tells us that He will make things meant for evil end up good for His glory.  So it is right and proper for us to give God the credit for good things. If you truly believe that God is all knowing, and all powerful then you have to give Him credit. So, if God makes it end all good, does that mean that He originated it?

That is what I am asking you today. Did God make all kinds of things happen just right so that there was a little girl standing in that particular place, at that particular time that spoke English? Did God zap the tape recorder so that it played for 15 minutes and never again? Did God stop him from walking, turned his head and directed his eye to that book? Tell me what you think.

Now, I do not want a post saying Yes. You need to explain yourself, remember you don't know what you really believe until you can put it in words.