Is God For Me?

So my pastor has been preaching a sermon series called "I Quit," and the premise is that trust in God really leaves no room for complaining. I really need this series, because this past year has been one of frustrations.

And they're not over.

And it sucks.

Now, I know that many awesome things have happened to me this year that I never expected, and I thank God for them, but all of those things were kind of out of my control. That's perfectly fine. I'm glad to be powerless at those times. I'm glad God's in control. I think it's awesome. That's not what bugs me.

What's been bugging me for the past year is that I feel like everything I try to do gets shut down immediately or blows up in my face. Especially, but not exclusively, when it comes to finding work. What frustrates me is that: I have a college degree combined with good grades and awards; I have loads of experience in both pertinent and unique areas; I do a good job and have a pool of recommendation from which to draw; and I'm flexible. . .so can someone please tell me why jobs I could do in my sleep get filled by other people?

I understand that unemployment is at a generational high right now. I get that too. It's just frustrating when I see job-holding people who aren't doing as good a job as I would.

So, I'm frustrated. And it's not just the unobtainable work force, I'm talking about. I'm talking about almost everything. Endeavors I try to start fall flat on their faces. Talents I have that I try to expand get mocked. Responsible choices I try to make are the exact opposite of choices I should have made. Nothing's being used for God's glory. . .and I'm trying. That's the killer. I'm actually taking every feasible opportunity that comes to me--even stupid ones. I keep thinking that I shouldn't shut any doors in case these are doors that God is opening. . .But here's where it gets even more frustrating: Whenever I try to pry open a door that's put in front of me, it doesn't just shut--my fingers get slammed in the door.

Now, that sounds like a real pity party, and I know it, and I hate that I even feel it. I know feelings are fleeting and that I'm supposed to be trusting God, right? Like. . .isn't that why God put stuff like Job and Ecclesiastes and Christ's crucifixion in the Bible? So we would see other people's faith in the face of great trial? We would see it and go, 'Okay, I'm stupid for thinking my little problems are that bad compared to Job or Jesus. I should suck it up and trust God because they did and God used them.'

It's hard though, because I don't feel like God even wants to use me. He sure isn't, lately--even when I'm sitting here, open to being used!

This brings me to a feeling I was having this past Sunday after the sermon. Before the sermon, we sang three songs. One of them had a line in it that, after the message and now every time I think about it, chokes me up. But not for the right reason. The line is "And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us. And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?" That phrase is so moving, and rightly so. Truly, we are weak and He is strong. Truly, God has promised to abide with us and to be our Protector. Yea verily, He has promised to bless us. I understand. I even agree.

The thing is that when I hear that phrase, I think something dangerously sinister. I think, 'Maybe the exact reason I'm getting stopped is because God isn't for me. . .' I can't sing the song the same way everyone else does right now. For me, that song is a painful reminder of the fact that maybe I'm being rejected by God. I keep praying for direction, but how can I be directed if every avenue is blocked? That's not direction. That's cloistering. That's handicapping. One of them has to get unblocked for direction to happen, right? But it's not happening. I almost had an atheist moment on Sunday, which is ironic because I went forward at the end of the sermon saying I need help, and I never go forward. I even happened to discussed the sermon briefly with the pastor afterwards in agreement, and I don't always get that chance. Irony.

After having these thoughts, the Holy Spirit brought to mind Paul's teaching in Romans about how God loved Jacob and hated Esau. I also began to think about this friend I'd witnessed to years ago, who maybe believes. . .or probably doesn't anymore. I don't know, because he won't talk to me anymore. His problem was that he kept claiming that he believed what the Bible said, but that he didn't think himself one of the elect. He believed maybe he was one who, like Esau, God hated.

So, in my mind, I started down that path this past Sunday. Yes, maybe that's it. Maybe my life is supposed to be a waste. Maybe I am supposed to have talents for the express purpose of seeing what a life does when it tries to trust God, but can't because it is too narcissistic to be loved by Him. I mean, if Esau's life brought glory to God, then maybe that's how mine is supposed to work too.

Then the Holy Spirit made me think of something else. What was the reason that God loved Jacob and hated Esau? The reason was because neither of them were pursuing God, but God chose to show His complete and utter awesomeness by deeming one of those that hated him, loved.

So, am I in Esau's category? Do I hate God? Have I spurned Him? Have I rejected Him? Have I cursed the Spirit? No. I want to know more about Him--even in these rough patches. I read the Bible to see what He has to say and pray for direction. These are things that I want to do, even when my human mind questions my sanity about doing them. It makes no human sense to read about a God that you believe has rejected you, let alone keep reading--not because I'm trying to appease Him or feel good about myself--but because I know in my heart that it's the only real way of getting any direction. Plus, God's cool, and it's fun to read about what He's done. (Plus, the Archaeological Study Bible is just fascinating.)

So I'm not in Esau's category, because I don't hate God. If I desire God then that's pretty good, because God says He won't reject anyone who loves Him. Plus, if God could pursue someone who didn't really care about Him like Jacob, then He will certainly pursue someone who loves Him. I mean, really, I was in the same boat as Jacob at some point. No one comes to God in and of his/herself.

So here's my conclusion on the matter: God's there and He hasn't rejected me. That's all I know to be true right now. I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing. I don't know where I'm supposed to live. I don't know anything about the future--near or far. I don't know how I'm supposed to be used by Him. No clue.

Weird ending, huh? But maybe for the first time I realize why the ending of Ecclesiastes sounds so unfulfilling. "Fear God and keep His commandments." I used to read that going, "Really. . .That's really where you wanna leave it, huh?" But now, I guess I kinda get it. "Fear God and keep His commandments" sounds masochistic at best, but I think that's because we are too Disney-fied and Hallmark-carded to death. Life isn't a bowl of cherries; it sucks. That's reality. Fear God and keep His commandments because eventually God will bring everything to light. When life is going great, Fear God and keep His commandments. When life sucks, Fear God and keep His commandments.

And guess what. If you desire Him, then that's a good sign. . .It might be the only good sign. . .but. . .

Maybe that's more than enough. . .?

picture from: http://jer-skepticscorner.blogspot.com/2010/11/slamming-back-doorthrough-front-door.html

What Spirit Opens Your Eyes?

I Cor. 2:10b The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³ This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.^c]">[c] ¹⁴ The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. ¹⁵ The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, ¹⁶ for,

“Who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?”^d]">[d]

But we have the mind of Christ.

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So I read this chapter today, and it made me think about something. This passage tells us that we don't have the mind of God within us naturally; however, if we have the Spirit, then God's mind is revealed to us. It also says that people who don't have the Spirit consider the things of God as foolishness.

Well, . . . Christians aren't the only people who don't make sense to the world. I mean, think of shows like South Park and Family Guy and you will see that they make fun of other religions too. So . . . apparently, there are other spirits that we can "have" that can "open our eyes" to wisdom that seems like foolishness to outsiders. Talk to a hippy and you will instantly see what I'm talking about, . . . man. During a drug-induced high, people tend to feel that they are thinking "deeply" about the world around them. But from the outside, their thoughts are ridiculous. Maybe drugs are dangerous for more reasons than your mom originally thought.

Religions like Buddhism say things that seem to be deep and enlightening, but if you really think about them, they are utter nonsense. For example, my meditating for hours a day and thinking good thoughts seems like a nice thing to do, but practically, just because I think something nice doesn't actually make my environment any nicer. Furthermore, suppose my environment did change for the better? There is no way to prove the link between its improvement and my meditation.

Another thing. This passage seems pretty scary, considering the fact that cult leaders always tend to refer to this passage when they are making their "no one understands us, but that's okay" speeches. For a moment while I was reading, I started to worry that this passage and others like it were just explaining away non-provable aspects of my faith. I think that's where Satan has really done a number on this concept. He has lied so much to so many people over the years by allowing man to create religions that seem to pattern this same "no one understands us" credo. It's a good thing that God has proved Himself time and again and to more than an elite few, so those of us who are indwelt by the Spirit can discern.

Anyways, maybe this isn't the best blog or anything . . . but it was just a thought I had when I was reading. I hope I didn't make anyone paranoid about their faith. Tell you what. If it bothers you, call out to God right now and ask Him to reveal His Truth to you.

I have every faith He will.

(I got the photo from: http://www.turnbacktogod.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Dont-Take-Holy-Spirit-Away.jpg)

Paul: Foot-In-Mouth Disease

Acts 23:1-5 (NLT)

¹ Gazing intently at the high council,^" Paul began: “Brothers, I have always lived before God with a clear conscience!” ² Instantly Ananias the high priest commanded those close to Paul to slap him on the mouth. ³ But Paul said to him, “God will slap you, you corrupt hypocrite! What kind of judge are you to break the law yourself by ordering me struck like that?”

⁴ Those standing near Paul said to him, “Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?”

⁵ “I’m sorry, brothers. I didn’t realize he was the high priest,” Paul replied, “for the Scriptures say, ‘You must not speak evil of any of your rulers.’”

Okay, this is not going to be anything especially revelatory or some deep spiritual insight. I just want to point out that we all say things we shouldn't say, and that there is a right way and a wrong way to deal with it.

For instance, have you ever been in a situation where you are arguing with someone and you are trying to be an adult, but the other person is just making you more and more angry? What happens? Well, if you're like me, you snap and say something you shouldn't which just nulls and voids any logical argument you were trying to make.

I am the oldest of four kids, so when we were growing up--needless to say--we all got into fights from time to time. My younger siblings would inevitably be mad and screaming and I would be trying to keep my cool to win the debate. However, little kids don't really listen when you are trying to kill them with logic, so what could I do? Inevitably, I would hit them. All of a sudden all my credibility was out the window, and whatever point I was trying to make was instantly clouded by the moment I crossed the line with violence--even though up to that point, I was clearly the most mature.

This is a weird connection to make, but I see something strangely similar with Paul and the Sanhedrin. The high priest goes so far as to slap Paul in the face--a very condescending gesture--and what does Paul do? He snaps. He calls the priest a "corrupt hypocrite." The King James translates this as "whited wall." Matthew 23:27 gives us some insight into what exactly this insult means:

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity."

So, no matter how immature it was for the high priest to slap Paul in the face, Paul was the one on trial and the one who was supposed to be standing up for "the Way" (the N.T. term for what we call "Christianity"). I just think it's funny that Paul was expected to be the bigger person, even though Ananias was the high priest. True, Paul didn't actually know that he was insulting the high priest, but once he found out, he immediately apologized.

Anyways, what I get from this story is that, look . . . we all say things that are mean in a moment of anger and we lose our credibility from time to time, but look at Paul's example. He screwed up, but then he realized what he'd said and apologized--even though he'd just been slapped in the mouth, which is arguably a greater insult. As Christians, we need to realize that we need to be more mature than other people, so even if we screw up, we can still apologize--even if we're the ones who have suffered the greater wrong.

I wanted to leave it there, but I started thinking of another point. Why was it okay for Christ to say these things to the Pharisees in Matthew, but not okay for Paul to say what he did before the council? I mean, honestly, both Paul and Christ had valid reasons to be calling people hypocrites. I think it has to do with the differences of their situations. I mean, I'm sure the Pharisees were offended with Christ's words too, but the difference with Paul was that he was on trial at that point, and maybe should have guarded his mouth. Notice the difference with how Christ acted when He finally was on trial, and I think you'll see the brilliance in Christ's meekness.

Anyways, we might not be able to act perfectly in every situation like Christ, but at least we have the option of apologizing like Paul did.

(The picture came from: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.breadwig.com/uploads/sketches/000656-apostle-paul-cartoon-comic.breadwig.com.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.breadwig.com/2008/02/16/paul/&usg=__X07P319XthnCLPNx2JQhiFXUYbc=&h=700&w=250&sz=55&hl=en&start=0&sig2=HF9HHy3UynxEu7DwEl7xJA&zoom=1&tbnid=tOLvSrUo_igRqM:&tbnh=151&tbnw=54&ei=4F6_TNPqFMLsOYKcnB4&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dapostle%2Bpaul%2Bcartoon%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D426%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=119&vpy=-57&dur=6869&hovh=376&hovw=134&tx=88&ty=170&oei=lV6_TKjrK4O0lQf548jkBw&esq=3&page=1&ndsp=10&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0)

Spiritual Empowerment

Act 18:24-28 (NLT) "Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John's baptism. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately. Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him to go. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God's grace, had believed. He refuted the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them that Jesus was the Messiah."

Acts 18 was my Bible study for this morning, and the last part of the chapter really spoke to me:

"Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt."

I wish I had time to research all the history behind this man Apollos, but I don't. At least I know, based on my rudimentary knowledge of the ancient world, that Alexandria was known for being a place of higher education. Therefore, Apollos must have been something of a scholar. His scholarship is also solidified by the fact that he "knew the Scriptures well." I find his education interesting as the passage goes on.

"He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy."

This is awesome. While he had probably the best human education one could have had at that time, he obviously also had the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, how could he have known that Christ was the Messiah so much so that he could speak of it with enthusiasm and accuracy? That information would be unattainable through simply human means--no matter how educated one could be. The impossibility of such is heightened in the next sentence:

"However, he knew only about John's baptism. "

Amazing. I look at this today with my human eyes and wonder how in the world this could be possible. How could someone with knowledge of only John's baptism, put two and two together THAT much to come to the Messianic conclusion about Jesus--furthermore, to be able to speak with dead level accuracy? Think about that. It speaks volumes of the power of the Holy Spirit. That is the power that God wants to grant to all of us, but we rarely let Him. Why do we spend so much time trying to advance our careers and keep up with the Joneses instead of being powerfully used by the Holy Spirit to further His kingdom? We have been given so much, and yet we use so little.

"When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately."

At first when I read "they took him aside," it kind of made my heart sink. It kind of sounded like what I'm used to hearing in many churches, unfortunately. Almost every time there is a new addition to a fellowship who has a slightly different approach to sharing the gospel, his or her charisma is almost immediately preyed upon by the higher levels of the church's food chain. These modern-day pharisees "take this person aside" with the pretext of "making sure his doctrine is sound," but really end up just discouraging that person from talking about things they "don't fully understand, because they haven't been part of this fellowship long enough." The result is one of two outcomes: (1) the newer member ends up shutting up and assimilating into the background, or (2) the newer member continues to preach and is then dismissed and/or warned against for being a radical.

Honestly, though, I don't think that's what's going on here in this passage at all, and the proof is in the next few verses, which I will get to in a moment. Obviously, Apollos had a gift for speaking and being used by the Holy Spirit. Aquila and Priscilla recognized Apollos' ministry as a gift and knew they could help fill in the gaps of his message. In other words, for an even more successful ministry, Apollos needed to know more information about Christ than just John's baptism. He needed to know not only the head knowledge that Christ fulfilled every Messianic prophecy, but also he needed connections and details of those prophecies. Being and Old Testament scholar, he needed to know exactly how those prophecies were fulfilled, or else his debates with the Jews in the ensuing verses would have been void. He needed to know who Christ healed and what Christ did on earth. He needed to know how Christ died and why He rose again. Here was not a case of church elitists quenching and discouraging. Instead, here was empowerment. Again, testament to the Holy Spirit.

One more thing about this verse is that Apollos listened to their instruction. He wasn't so proud in his own Scripture knowledge that he ignored their counsel. Instead, he soaked it all in as a sponge. He could have easily dismissed them. I mean who were they? They were tent makers! Were they Bible scholars? All we know is that they followed God. They probably had no formal Scriptural education whereas Apollos probably did have. Apparently, his accepting of their spiritual wisdom was not a human inclination. Something more was at work.

"Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him to go."

Ah. So here we see that under no circumstances were Aquila and Priscilla condescending Apollos' gifts or embarrassed by the limits of his knowledge. In fact, this very verse shows that no one in the Ephesian church doubted his gift at all. In fact, they all had enough spiritual maturity to encourage Apollos to further Christ's gospel outside of Ephesus to a whole other district. Also, they saw fit to let him go--alone. That speaks volumes of their spiritual wisdom. They saw Apollos through the eyes of the Holy Spirit, which told them that he was mature enough to be a missionary by himself, not through the human eyes of doubt, that would suggest he stay in Ephesus to study a bit longer under "superior" teachers or even that he go to Achaia under the watchful eye of a more well-seasoned elder.

"They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him."

In order for the Achaian believers to accept a teacher of which they'd never before heard, the Ephesian believers sent word about Apollos to Achaia. Important to note is not that this gave the Achaians the Ephesian "stamp of approval" (the way modern-day churches feel the need to get "letters of recommendation" from the former pastor of a potential member), but rather that these were dangerous times of persecution. Therefore, a letter sent ahead was necessary for the Achaians to accept Apollos as a helpful friend, rather than dangerous foe. I am not saying that pastoral "letters of recommendation" are evil, but honestly, ask yourself this question: "What is the reason that this new pastor needs my former pastor's approval?" If the answer has to do with comparable early church persecution, then by all means, get the approval. However, if the answer has to do with human curiosity or control, then . . . sorry, but it's evil. God already gave us His stamp of approval when He chose us. If one cannot sense the Holy Spirit in another person, no amount of letters will fix that fact, anyway. One would do better to spend time in the Word and in prayer for guidance.

"When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God's grace, had believed. He refuted the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them that Jesus was the Messiah."

Notice that Apollos proved to be a great benefit for believers. He may or may not have been a benefit to the Jews who disagreed with him. Personally, I find this an interesting point. How often do I myself get into debates with people trying to change their mind on something? It is important to note that (1) people only believe by God's grace, and (2) theological debates are generally most helpful for those who already believe, not the opponents. Not that people cannot be persuaded, but that it is the Holy Spirit alone that does the persuading. However, there is definitely a necessary place for theological debate: This form of pro-active apologetics helps to solidify believers' faith. It would behoove us all to listen to intellectual theological debate from time to time so that we can be current on the issues of our day and how these issues align with our faith. There is no place in Christianity for the comfortable. God created your brain, so exercise it.

Remember too that Apollos was very schooled in the Scriptures--not just shooting his mouth off--so this passage is not encouraging Christians to be radical old codgers who leap to fight at every argument. Very often, in fact, most fight-seeking Christians tend not to have a very adequate knowledge of the Scriptures as a whole, but rather pick and choose a few key passages as their only references in these debates. This sort of debate is not just annoying to the offense, but also embarrassing to the defense. Apollos was neither because his arguments were up-to-date and well-schooled.

My last point on this passage is that Apollos saw the need to explain to the Jews that Christ was their Messiah. He was not trying to alienate, the way Christianity alienates Judaism today, but rather he was trying to align. We need to have this burden for the Jews as well. Their Messiah has come, and they need to see that Christ is not only in the New Testament but in the Old Testament as well. School yourself as Apollos did and allow the Holy Spirit to use you.

If someone shows signs of wanting to know more about Christianity and how it differs from other religions; if someone is searching for answers to ultimate questions and desires the things of God; if a younger or less-trained individual desires to further the work of Christ and shows signs of potential, it is up to the church's "superiors" to recognize the work of the Holy Spirit and have faith in His guidance as they seek to empower the individual, not to recognize their own human misgivings and doubts. The purpose of a spiritual leader is to empower, not oppress.

"Though Seeing, They Do Not See."

Matthew 13:13 (New International Version)

"This is why I speak to them in parables:
'Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.'"

Today, Lisa and I met with a group of people who call their church "Church of God." (This is not to be confused with the Church of God that is in North Carolina.) Basically this church believes that you cannot have salvation until you accept two things: (1) that there is a God the Mother and (2) that you can only have eternal life if you take a rigidly detailed view of the Passover.

While I don't want to get too detailed about what their cult believes, I just wanted to explain something the Holy Spirit revealed to me today.

You know when you are approached by people of a cult and they begin to take you on a furiously flipping, head-spinning journey through the Bible and seem to disprove everything you say? Yes, well...this same thing happened today. In the past, I used to get really frustrated because either I didn't know how to argue them back, or...after having studied the Scriptures to where I know where I stand on certain issues, I would get frustrated because they wouldn't listen to anything I had to say. Today's frustration was the latter. The man explaining to us (Phil) would point to one verse out of context, and when I would try to explain the context, he'd move on to another point. No matter what I said, he wasn't having it. Then he showed us Matthew 13:13 and the Holy Spirit was like, "See, Jessica?"

Phil was using the verse to explain that Lisa and I were blinded because we don't believe in God the Mother. Ironically, I realized exactly why I couldn't voice any of the rebuttals in my head: If the man speaking to me was blind, he wasn't going to get the Truth anyway. If he is choosing to be blind, then I will be casting pearls before swine--the age-old tactic that Satan uses in order to waste a believer's time.

Let it suffice to say: If you are ever discouraged because a cult follower seems to have the upper hand in a theological debate, just remember that it's not about you winning the debate. If they are blind, they are blind. Maybe the Spirit didn't want you to waste words. You can't convince people just because you are willing to convince them. The Spirit has to be ready for that person. If the Spirit is not ready, nothing you say is going to change their mind. In other words, be encouraged that the Spirit is using you, even if it's not the way you expect.

This is why prayer is the only real way of getting anything done. Pray for cult followers. They are lead by very very clever--yet entirely defeatable--demons. Some people cannot be convinced by evidence. . .but they can be by the Holy Spirit's moving. Pray for them.

Finding Pasture in John 10:9

John 10:9 (English Standard Version)
"I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture."

This is one of those moments where I just now realized something that I've largely ignored all my life. Specifically, I'm talking about the last nine words of that verse: "and will go in and out and find pasture."

Up until now, I'd realized the first part and surrounding verses talking about how Jesus is our Shepherd and how we are His sheep. I got that. Sunday school teachers always talked about how the shepherd would sit at the door of the fold for two reasons (1) to protect the sheep and (2) keep the enemies out. Those two concepts were easy for me to understand within the realm of my conservative upbringing...but...this verse actually brings up a third point: (3) Truth is found in the Bible, and Truth can be found outside the Bible--but we can only determine Truth after we have entered through the "Jesus door."

What I found so interesting is that the words do not say, "and will go IN and find pasture." You'd expect the verse to say that if you looked at most churches today: The congregation finds the church to be the only truly "safe" place. Christians buy only Christian things. Christians have only Christian friends. Christians are stereotypically stuffy and self-righteous. Christians get offended when non-Christians don't act like Christians. And on and on . . .

However, the verse doesn't say that. The verse says that we can go in and out freely. I'm not advocating relativism. I'm advocating that in order for Jesus to be the truest "door," He will have to be true in any circumstance for any person in any location. This means that after learning about Christ, we can listen to secular song with our eyes opened. Instead of switching the radio off in disgust, we can listen to the hearts of the searching people who wrote the song and pray that God would give us the words to minister to someone else with that mindset.

Also, we don't just come "in" once and get our "Jesus fix" and then stay out in the world. There is constant, healthy movement between the two. This way we can stay culturally relevant--yet stay on-track with God--the way Paul and the apostles did.

If you were to look at the mold of a plastic cup, would you see a cup? No. However, if you first saw the cup and then saw the mold of the cup, you would recognize the mold as the absence of "cup." Likewise, now that we see the universe through the person of Christ, we don't have to become embittered by others' sinfulness. Instead, we are free to recognize sin simply as an absence of something--something in the exact shape of "Truth."

Therefore, when a non-Christian at work curses God, we don't have to alienate ourselves from them. Instead, we can "find pasture" in the fact that we now have a chance to explain who God is to them. If we see that a bumper sticker on the car in front of us is pro-choice, we don't have to hate "baby killers." Instead, we can "find pasture" in the fact that they are--probably in an effort to respect women--replacing the sin of chauvinism with the sin of murder and need discernment. When we hear about terrorists bombing cities in the name of a false god, we don't have to rally against the Muslims across the street. Instead, we can "find pasture" in reading their holy books and asking the Holy Spirit how to talk to our neighbors.

Some other helpful references I just studied regarding this:

1 Thessalonians 5:21
Test everything. Hold on to the good.

(Paul advises that when we hear people preach about God, we aren't supposed to buy it just because they are a pastor or whatever. Instead, we should ask the Holy Spirit to show us what is good. But not everything a "false teacher" says is wrong. We just need to know what parts are good and what parts are bad. That wisdom can ONLY come from the Spirit.)

Acts 17:11 (New International Version)¹¹Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

(The Bereans themselves were into this whole "testing everything" thing. They even tested Paul. That's awesome, b/c Paul was just a man. Who cares if he is a leader or something; he's human: Test him.)

Holy Days

I'm listening to a series by Tom Bradford in a podcast called "Torah Class" on the book of Ruth. Anyways, he pointed out in a side note that Jewish holidays like "Hanukkah" and "Purim" and Christian holidays like "Christmas" and "Easter"--while certainly begun with pure intentions--are man-made, not God-ordained, holidays.

That's true. Isn't that weird? Like...God has given us feasts and stuff to celebrate, but...I know at least the majority of Christians don't even know what they are. I'm not sure I do, actually.

While this doesn't make celebrating them a sin, it does elicit two thoughts:

(1) Treating our current well-known holidays as holy is probably not such a great thing to do.

(2) What happened to the holidays that God ordained?

Any thoughts?