Food for thought

I recently came across Paul Washer and some of his sermons on YouTube, after he was recommended to me by a friend. Needless to say, I'm becoming a big fan, based on what I've seen and heard so far. If you have time, you might check out his sermon at a youth conference in the early 2000's. Very heavy hitting, and truth I needed to hear.

The clip below is the one that I would like to discuss here, for a bit:

It would be easy to dismiss this as just another guy who is a doomsday professor -- afterall, we probably have heard more of those in the last 5 years than we care to for the rest of our lives, haven't we? Economic collapse and Armageddon are just around the corner, it seems. And maybe that's true, but it does get tiring after a while.

But I've kept thinking about what he says, especially in light of some of the recent things that have happened in the public arena regarding same sex marriage.

First, this with Louie Giglio. Then this, with Tim Tebow. And finally this, just recently in Scotland. 

It isn't difficult to see where this is headed. Already, in the public arena, if you are not supportive of the right of same-sex couples to marry, you are bigoted, and hateful.

How will this play out with athletes like Tim Tebow, RGIII, and others who are professing Christians? Or popular mega-church pastors, like Andy Stanley, and Rick Warren? At some point, they are going to be asked directly what they think about these issues. The question for many of them will be -- do they sidestep the issue -- still believing it's wrong -- but choosing to not make it the focus of their conversation? And, is that not then a kind of endorsement of it?

Closer to home, how long until the issue involves discrimination against "normal" people? At some point will the local pastor be ostracized and/or forced to attend tolerance classes if he does not endorse this lifestyle? Will charitable organizations lose their 501c3 status for not endorsing it? Will your business face losing a big client due to your stance on social issues?

To me, the power in this is going to be those who are "Christians" (and there most certainly will be -- Rob Bell has already done so) who profess their tolerance, love, and acceptance for all people, no matter their sexual orientation. From the world's perspective, why do we have to be so narrow minded and hateful? Why can't we accept everyone for who they are, like everyone else is doing?

There are so many questions these things bring up. How do we show love to LGBT people, while not endorsing their lifestyle? What does that look like on a practical level?

At what point do we just stay silent about our beliefs to avoid controversy?

I have more questions than answers. Important things to think about, though. I believe we are going to see more and more of these types of situations arise, and a huge divide on how followers of Christ should respond.

Your thoughts?

Enjoying the Process

 
   I was recently inspired with the thought of the processes of life -- spiritual, emotional, physical, whatever kind you can think of.  The process of maturation. The process of preparing for an event/calling, and everything that goes into that. The list could go on. I was encouraged by the thought that God enjoys the processes of leading us somewhere maybe as much as the place itself that He is taking us to, if that makes sense.

  Some thoughts from my journal:

   Process. I'm learning that God enjoys the process -- well, maybe a better way to phrase it is: He receives glory through the process. I learn through the process. The process is not the end goal, but if I skip it altogether, the end goal probably isn't attainable, at least like it is if I submit to the process. It's amazing to me that God delights in this. 
   I'm so impatient. I want it NOW! And I would think that if I'm God, the instant someone repents and becomes a believer, I would want to zap them and make them like Christ in one BAM! and then say -- now go out and bring me glory by being my hands and feet, and showing the love of Jesus to everyone. 
   But that's not at all how it works. It's slow, methodical. Years. Him teaching, leading, guiding. SANCTIFYING. I'm not sure if this is totally accurate, but I wonder if He doesn't almost get as much glory from preparing me, teaching me, sanctifying me slowly, as He does from the ministry/work He is preparing me for. 
   I don't know. I'm slowly realizing -- don't jump ahead. Wait. Follow Him. Trust. Believe. Hope. Sometimes I look at the world and wish that God would shake the earth, so that everyone would see His power and fall in worship. Surely that would bring Him so much glory! And someday that will happen. 
   But it seems to me that the beauty of God is revealed in more small, obscure ways. Him bringing beauty from situations that look dead and ashen. Him changing individuals from self-focused, self-absorbed, proud people into people who love, care, hope, and humbly obey. People who realize their weaknesses and don't hide them, but glory in them because God's strength is then revealed in those weaknesses. People who ARE, not do. 
  And so I need to learn to sit. To hope. To wait expectantly. And God will open the next door, and I in faith can walk through it in His strength. Hallelujah! 

     It’s a very slow day at work, which allows me some time to write.
As I sit here, I’m reading  about a shooting at an elementary shooting
in Connecticut that has claimed 27 lives, 18 of which  were young children.
This about a week after a mall shooting in Oregon that claimed two lives,
 and several months after a theater shooting in Colorado that ended 12 lives.

     There aren’t words for atrocities like this. And they seem to be happening more and more
frequently. Maybe it just seems that way. As  I read about all of these things, I’m deeply grieved.
How can people do such terrible things to other people? To kids? These were elementary kids!
They don’t deserve this. How could you do this to kids?!

 Just today, I read the following quote on Facebook:

 “Our society is walking through a maze of cultural land mines and the heaviest price 
is exacted as we send our children first”

     Almost prophetic, in light of what has happened now in Connecticut. To be clear, I know
 none of the people in Connecticut, and none of their beliefs, religious backgrounds or well..really
anything about them.

I’m not trying to suggest this is God’s judgment on them specifically in any way.

     But we can’t keep playing games. Our society wants to say there is no God, there are no
morals, and there is no clear line of right and wrong. And we are surprised when atrocities like
this happen? Who are we trying to fool?

     These massacres are the fleshing out of those beliefs in real life. We diminish the value of life.
We slaughter helpless infants in the womb. We mock God’s design of marriage – through both
homosexuality and divorce/re-marriage. We seem bent on taking every single thing that God has
designed and made good and ruining it by doing with it as we please. We rebel defiantly to His
commands. And we expect His blessing.

     I am convinced God is grieved beyond words by what happened today in Connecticut. I
believe He weeps at the atrocities we hoist on each other. But don’t we see what has happened?
His hand of protection has been removed -- and it must be removed! We want nothing to do
with Him! We try to rid ourselves of every reminder of Him. We detest any suggestion that He
might be real, that He might hold us to account for our actions. We despise Him!

Truly, truly, God is not mocked. We can’t sow rebellion and expect to reap blessing. It’s
impossible.

So what do we do?

We cry out to God for those that have been affected by this unspeakable travesty.
We pray that Jesus would surround them with His love, and draw them to Himself through
the pain, tears, and grief. We pray that even now, His light and life would pierce the darkness
of what has happened and bring hope and healing. We pray that He would receive glory through this.

     And we fall on our faces before Him for our nation. We need repentance to sweep
our country! We plead with Him to send His Spirit across our nation, bringing repentance
and grief for sin.We need to turn back to Him!

And we get our there and tell people about Jesus, His death, the defeat of sin,
 and the gift of eternal life.  I’m speaking to myself as much here as anyone.

May God have mercy on us if we continue to refuse Him.