Congratulations, It's a Son!

Paul notes, in the first chapter of his letter to the Galatians, that he was set apart from birth by God. A parent knows his or her child and loves this child dearly. When I walk in to a maternity ward, I see a gathering of tiny mutants freshly spawned from their respective pods. Of course I can see that babies are cute, precious, and all that. However, I don’t have the same sense of pride that a new parent has when he looks through the glass and sees a being that he would give his life for. Though this being has only existed for a relatively short period of time, its parents love it as unconditionally as they are capable of. Paul states that through grace he is set apart for the purpose of revealing God’s son. This is a larger responsibility than that of the maternity ward nurse that labels and keeps track of a child’s identity. This is the equivalent of taking the place of a child deeply loved by its parents. God didn’t give up his son for people incapable of this task.

Our responsibility as God’s chosen people is to expose his son to a world that doesn’t know much about grace or love. God knows that we are capable of so much more than the world would have us believe. So many forces in this life call us to find purpose within them. However, Paul states that he did not consult any man. Paul didn’t attempt to discover personal enlightenment or specialized training before doing the work of revealing Christ to the world. He simply left his old life behind in order to please God. God looks at us with the prideful eyes of a father. He has set us apart personally and knows we can succeed.

Sinless World Records

It is impressive and sometimes shocking to discover what human beings are capable of. I enjoy looking through the Guinness World Records books and finding the more ridiculous and obscure feats of human ability. For example, John Evans of England currently holds the record for “Heaviest Car Balanced on Head”. John was able to balance a 352 lb Mini Cooper on his head for 33 seconds. The longest finger nails of a female belong to Lee Redmond of the good old U. S. of A., who hasn’t cut her finger nails since the year I was born in 1979. Lee’s nails currently are measured at a total length of 24ft 7.8 in. Imagine being able to scratch your toes while standing straight up or worrying about skewering your eyeballs when scratching your head in pondering life’s mysteries.

I’m fairly certain I hold the record for most Skittles eaten in a single sitting, but no official record exists of the event. I did more than taste the rainbow, I engulfed it. I know one record I don’t hold is fewest sins committed. I constantly struggle with my imperfection and the resulting iniquities. Hebrews 12:1 reminds me that sin “easily entangles” us. Like 24ft 7.8 in of protein extending from one’s finger tips, sin will continue to grow if we allow it. Hebrews 12:1 also reminds me that we are running a race marked out for us. One doesn’t set records without perseverance. God has a goal set for us and the only way we will reach it is with diligence in removing all aspects of sin.

Coffee Sprinkler

The church in Laodicea, addressed by John in Revelation 3, had a problem that many of us struggle with today. The church in Laodicea was told that it was lukewarm, neither hot nor cold. There is little worse than craving an ice cold soda on a hot day, only to find that you never put your soda in the refrigerator. My little brother used to have the tendency to drink from whatever glass he found unattended in our home. This habit ended when he happened upon a two day old glass of coffee. His face contorted as he spit out coffee in various directions like a lawn sprinkler. As there is little purpose for a warm soda or room temperature glass of coffee, so is there little purpose for the lukewarm Christian. The Christians in Laodicea thought they needed nothing as they had already gained riches. They, like we often do, found a place of contentment and ceased to refine themselves.

The Christians in Laodicea became comfortable, stale, and weak. They were living what so many people call “The American Dream.” No matter how mature or educated we become in our walk with God, we still have much further to go. In 2 Corinthians 13:11, Paul tells the church in Corinth to “aim for perfection.” I know that I myself tend to think of perfection as so unattainable that I might as well not even try to achieve it. However, we must constantly find Satan’s targets and strengthen our defense in these areas. We must find new ways in which we can grow in spiritual maturity, educate ourselves in the knowledge of Christ, and use our gifts so that we do not become lukewarm.

A Study of Intolerance

Throughout my education in the field of psychology, I had to study various tests and conduct my own research. I once decided to examine the effects of cinema on one’s mood, contrasting humor and heartbreaking drama. I showed film clips to my subjects, observing them and later asking these individuals to take a few written tests. I had some interesting results, including the discovery that sad movies make one tired. I even made a girl cry. As a result of various projects and classes, I realized that drawing a conclusion based on a small group of people and applying it to a larger population can be difficult and dangerous. Because Christians have faith, convictions, and speak out against sin, we are judged as intolerant. Those who start wars and harm others in the name of God further distort and disfigure the image the world holds of Christians.

During the “Sermon on the Mount” (Matt. 5-7), there are several instances at which Jesus is clearly outspoken and communicates his intolerance towards hypocrisy and various other sins. In Matthew 12:1-8 and Mark 7:1-13, Jesus is intolerant of those who are bound completely to tradition. In these same passages, Jesus is tolerant of the actions of his disciples that are contrary to the laws of the Pharisees. We can conclude that Jesus was intolerant when sin was involved. Christianity doesn’t include passing judgment on others while ignoring our own sins. Our intolerance must be directed towards sin, especially if it is our own.

Don't Hide the Light

The image of war is one that calls forth a response from the very depths of our souls. Those involved in a war personally are changed and profoundly affected by their experiences. The Bible contains many references to war. These references include both physical wars against men and spiritual wars fought within ourselves. There is a war being waged against Satan, and to the victor goes the souls of mankind. War is real. It is strategic, difficult, painful, and involves personal sacrifice. War is to be approached with seriousness, dedication, and loyalty. War is a helpful image when applied to the lives of Christians. There is such an incredible variety of influences in this world that are not satisfied until we have given our complete allegiance to them. We typically walk through the middle of the fields of war, never really choosing a side and never gaining victory.

I do not want to make light of the illustration of war. However, it seems that we often apply this as a two dimensional, black and white approach to life. We choose sides, labeling everything and everyone as either good or bad. This is a disservice we do to ourselves and to the world we live in. Matthew 5:13-16 reminds us that we are salt and light to this world. Salt doesn’t attack and destroy food, it flavors and preserves it. Light should not be hidden, but shared. We are more than conquerors. We are salt and light.

Christquest.com

When I am traveling, I rely heavily on Mapquest.com and Google Maps. In this advanced technological age, I no longer have to rely on unclear, difficult directions. It is hard enough to put aside my pride in order to ask a local gas station attendant for assistance. When my request is followed by a string of incoherent references to randomly numbered roads, counted traffic lights, and McDonald’s locations, I tend to get a little frustrated. When I find myself lost, I simply improvise my course and plot my own path. Like my ancestors, I use the position of the sun and the growth of moss on trees to assist my inborn sense of direction. I repeat the phrase “Never Eat Soggy Waffles” to myself in order to determine my route. In these cases, I find myself gone astray and overcome with fear. In downtown Rochester Hills, I once came upon a street aptly named “Diversion”.

Mankind needs direction. We are too imperfect and we are basically not equipped to navigate life without God’s help. However, this doesn’t stop us from trying. Most of us, even those who have given our lives to God as Christians, decide we are able to call the shots. We decide that we know our limits. We think we know how many drinks is enough, how close we can be physically, and what defines gossip. Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life”. Jesus should define our limits and direction.

The Electric Fence

This morning, on the news, I watched a report about a couple of coyotes roaming Grosse Pointe Woods. The story would normally not concern me, but some pets were found killed by the coyotes and I would be devastated to find my pets killed by coyotes. Searching for protective measures, I discovered a set of pictures on the internet featuring the results of a solution found to a similar problem. Thinking coyotes were to blame for some missing neighborhood dogs; a group of people installed a large electric fence around their property. One man, supposedly the one sending the e-mail containing these pictures, heard his wife screaming and ran outside to see the source of her terror. What he saw, forever immortalized as an internet urban legend through photographs, was a giant python with its mouth around the wires of the electric fence. Angered by the initial shock, the python had bit the wires, killing itself in the process.

When we give our lives to God, we put up barriers that protect us from sin. We avoid situations and people that might influence us to defy God’s will for our lives. Hebrews 12 tells us that we should fix our eyes on Jesus, and throw off sin. Instead, like the python, we test our limits and eventually attack them. This often leads to our downfall. Remember that Satan roams outside of our barricade, like a python or coyote. If we leave the safety of our creator, we will be snatched up by Satan. Endure the world as Christ did.