Life, Love, and Microwave Popcorn

     So today, I was thinking about what Jesus might have meant about some things in Matthew chapter 28 that were to occur at “the end of the age” -- so who wants to watch a movie? I sort of got bored thinking about Bible stuff, so I decided to watch a movie instead. The movie was good, I learned nothing, and I survived a long car trip back from vacation. Ah, the bliss of wasting time…
     While we’re at it, I had also planned to listen to some John Piper sermons that I’d downloaded this past week. Did I? Of course not; I got a couple of new books, a digital camera, and several other distractions for Christmas! Who wants to reflect on spiritual things when they’re on vacation? Someone even asked me when my next post was coming, and I replied that it would be coming as soon as I stopped playing videogames long enough to think.
     On the plus side, I had fun at the beach, I beat twenty levels of my videogame, and I read a couple hundred pages of one of my books (good books mind you, but still fairly unenlightening). Why is it that these things are so much more appealing to me than spending time with God, who made all these things? Why did I enjoy the beach and the water (really cold water!) more than I enjoyed the One who thought to make those things? Surely the Creator is vastly greater than the creation!
     I think it’s because I have an attention deficit. Yep; my attention budget is pretty small, and it only takes a few moments before it’s overdrawn. In fact, I think we live in a distracted world. We’re all looking for a quick fix, easy satisfaction, and instant gratification. Remember the burger and the steak from the last post? Did I mention that the burgers were precooked patties that took about thirty seconds to order, while the steaks took nearly an hour to acquire? That’s why the burgers looked so great; ‘cause they were right there in front of me, and they were ready to be eaten at a moment’s notice! I didn’t have to wait, and I didn’t have to work; it was quick and easy, so I wanted it.
     If there are two things I hate, they’re hard work and waiting. Hard work is just too hard, and it’s always too much work. Waiting takes too long. Why wait, when you can have it now? Why work hard when you can get by more easily? These are the things commercials are made of. This is what our society preys on, because it’s something we all have inside. We have such an aversion to waiting and working that we’re selling our souls to the demon called convenience.
     I want it now, and I don’t want to wait for it. How often is that your attitude when you address God? I don’t want to wait for the situation to pan out; I don’t want to struggle, and I don’t want to suffer. I want writing on the wall, and I want it to be simple instructions that are fun to follow. None of this struggling towards a goal or running the race with perseverance stuff; I prefer my canned spirituality. It’s convenient!
     We’ve established in the last post that anyone who looks honestly at Christ and at the world would choose Christ. The thing that plagues us, though, is that sometimes we just don’t feel like it’s worth it to choose Christ. The world is so easy. It requires so little of us, and it gives so much. Christ? He requires everything -- your life, your love, and your commitment for eternity. Is it worth it?
     Second Kings chapter 5 tells us of a military commander called Naaman. This guy had everything -- power, money, and even favor with God! But this guy also had a problem. Naaman was a leper; he had a disease that was eating his body. Leprosy is not a fun thing to have; it’s painful, and it’s disgusting. Obviously, Naaman wanted to get rid of his leprosy, so he eventually went to the prophet Elisha to try to find healing. Elisha told Naaman exactly how to be cured of his disease: wash in the Jordan River seven times.
     There are two important things to notice here: one, that the Jordan river is a really nasty river, and nobody in their right mind would want to wash themselves in it, and two, that Naaman had to do it seven times to be completely healed. Why couldn’t he just wash once, and maybe do it in a nice spa or something? The reason is simple. Naaman needed to humble himself, and he needed to sacrifice for his cure. He had expected Elisha to do some kind of prophet thing, wave his hands around, and cure the disease, and Naaman would give him some gifts -- you know, the quick, easy way! Elisha didn’t do that; instead, he offered a solution that was difficult and unappealing -- and not only did Naaman have to get over the nastiness of the Jordan River (and his own pride) once, but he had to do it seven times!
     That’s kind of like us, isn’t it? When we take our disease, our sins, and go to God, we expect them to just vanish and we’ll just be happy again. That’s not quite how it works, though. There’s something deeper that has to happen if we want to rid ourselves of our disease. We have to repent. We have to humble ourselves, we have to work, and we have to keep waiting for the promised reward.
     So let’s look at our two options again: convenient, temporary pleasure, or eternal, incomparable joy that is difficult to attain. The burger, and the steak. The world, and Christ.
     Oh, one other thing. The convenient things kill you. That’s right; convenience will kill you, literally and spiritually. People love microwaves because they’re convenient; who knew that you can get cancer any number of ways from microwaving stuff? People love fast food because there’s a list of things you can get for a dollar in less than a minute; how often do you honestly care that it’ll make you fat and kill your heart? People love sin because, let’s face it, it pays off; but we have to see that it’s killing our souls.
     Naaman eventually got over his pride, and he did wash himself seven times in the Jordan River. His skin was restored to complete health. Naaman discovered that, although the process was inconvenient, the end result was everything he had hoped. So, as I like to do, I’ll leave you with a question to ponder as you live your life. Whatever you may be doing, and whatever it is that you desire, you must ask yourself: Is it worth it?

Steak and Jesus

     Last night, I went on a special outing with my Bible study. We have a tradition of going to Outback Steakhouse for our last meeting of the year, and we have a good reason for it. Our youth pastor, Ralph, who is also the leader of the study, came up with the tradition, and he always reminds us of some deep spiritual truths through it.
     You might be wondering what deep spiritual truths you can learn at a restaurant, but I'm obviously about to tell you. About an hour before we meet, Ralph stops by McDonald's and picks up a hamburger for each person. In the car on the way to Outback, he sets the bag somewhere where everyone can see and smell the food. Knowing that we're going to have a good steak dinner, we're all pretty hungry and those burgers are rather tempting to our stomachs. When we finally get to the restaurant, are seated, and have ordered, Ralph hands the burgers out -- but who wants a McDonald's burger when we've got steaks, mashed potatoes, and bread coming?
     Still waiting for the deep spiritual truth? Here it is: Ralph compares the steaks and the hamburgers to partaking of Christ and partaking of the world. The steaks, like Christ, will fulfill us and satisfy us. The burgers, like the world, smell pretty good when we're hungry; but they're not going to satisfy. The steaks will fill us up, but the burgers will only leave us wanting more. The steaks are worth the price, but the burgers aren't even close!
     The parallels are many, but perhaps you'll make some parallels yourself when I tell you the other events of the night. When Ralph handed out the burgers, I, being cunning and really hungry, ate mine. I ate the burger and the steak! Of course, that's fine when we're talking food -- but there are some interesting theological implications when we do the same with life. Having eaten the burger, I had a harder time being filled up on steak. I barely managed to eat my entire dinner because I'd already eaten the cheap stuff. Likewise, someone who has partaken of the world will face a greater challenge partaking of Christ, and depending on Christ alone for sustenance.
     Carlos, sitting next to me, made a different decision. He took one look at the burger, one look at the steak, and tossed the burger back to Ralph. "Get that outa here, I want some steak!" Carlos saw the steak, and he saw the burger, and he made the obvious choice -- wanted the steak! It's just like if someone saw Christ, and saw His glory, and then looked at the world in its depravity; what would that person choose? Wouldn't you choose Christ if you could always see things that way?
     Fast-forward a couple of hours, though. I'm sitting at home, and somehow I'm hungry again. Imagine that -- a couple of hours before, I was stuffed, but now I want something else to eat. Why is it that, having eaten the good stuff, my hunger returns and makes the cheap stuff look desirable again? Doesn't the same thing happen to you? When you indulge yourself in Christ, you're satisfied. It seems at that time as if you'll never need anything ever again. Then, after an incredibly short time, the world floods back in on you and you feel lost and unfulfilled again.
     In John chapter 4, Jesus tells a Samaritan woman about a kind of water He offers. He compares the water of a physical well to the water of the Spirit: the water from the physical well will give temporary satisfaction, but will leave the drinker thirsty later; but the water of the Spirit will satisfy eternally, and will be like an eternal spring welling up inside of the one who drinks!
     So why do we still thirst and hunger, if we have the eternal Spirit who Jesus promised would satisfy us? How can Jesus say such things, but yet I feel differently? I know that I have the Holy Spirit in me, but I also know that I still thirst and desire to drink the unsatisfying water.
     I think this struggle exists in the war between the flesh and the spirit. The spirit's thirst is quenched by the Holy Spirit, but the flesh is never satisfied. This is a sign that Christ's work has begun, but it is not yet finished. It is just as we are promised a kingdom, and in a sense we have that kingdom in the church; but we still wait for the final kingdom that Christ will instate when He returns.
     I think 1 Corinthians 13:12 says it well: "Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully." For now, we are still struggling; but the day is coming when our struggles will end, and we will never again know what it is to thirst!
      So do you want the cheap burger, or the juicy, tender, satisfying steak? Do you want the temporary pleasures of the world, or do you want the eternal spring of living water that you can receive through faith in Christ?

happy offensive december

     why does everyone seem to be so easily offended? it seems like there's controversy over the smallest things everywhere i look. why can't people just get over their petty differences? but i guess there are big things that people get offended over -- you know, besides proper pronunciation of the word "tomato" or what holiday phrase the store clerk at walmart should say. some people are offended by truth, and that's a serious issue.
     jesus talked about being offended. specifically, he talked about people who were offended by truth -- by himself. in matthew 11:6 and luke 7:23, he says, "blessed is the one who is not offended by me." he also had strong words for those who were offended by himself. when the disciples informed him that he'd offended the pharisees, he said to, "let them alone; they are blind guides. and if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit." obviously, being offended by christ and falling into "the pit" are inseparable -- no one who rejects christ will enter heaven. what were these pharisees offended about? they were offended by jesus' defiance of their made-up doctrines and his declaration of truth.
     i offended someone once (well, maybe more than once, but a particular instance has come to mind). i was talking about whether or not women should be pastors and elders and such in the church. i cited several bible passages that said that women should not be teachers of men in the church, and should not have authority. a man whose wife happened to be a pastor was bitterly offended by my statements and by the verses i quoted. i tried to point out that he wasn't offended by just me, but by scripture. if he had a problem with something in the bible, i wasn't the person to talk to about it. being offended by truth is certainly a dangerous thing.
     what about the people who are offended by little, insignificant things? i was amused recently while listening to a local radio show. the host was talking about how stupid it was of people to be offended by the phrase "merry christmas." a caller asked if the host thought it was stupid to be offended by two little words like that, and when the host replied with affirmation, the caller asked, "then why are you so offended when people say 'happy holidays' instead of 'merry christmas?'" the point made was a good one. the radio host was being entirely arbitrary and arrogant by being so offended. usually, when people are offended, it's not because the offender is truly "wrong" but because the offendee is too stuck on their out-dated way of thinking. recall the pharisee's offense at jesus' words -- weren't they offended by his lack of convention and tradition?
     so i've taken to saying "happy december" because i think that some people need to be offended a bit. i think people have started to think of christmas the same way the pharisees thought of washing hands. they regard man-made doctrine and tradition more highly than they regard god's truth. think about it -- how many christians miss christmas? pretty close to none, i'm guessing. how many missed celebrating the sabbath last week? ouch. well, the oil did need to be changed, and there was a good show on tv that coincided with church, and it wasn't really a big deal to break sabbath once out of fifty-two times this year, right? but who would ever think of missing christmas for those reasons? i don't think anybody would. thus, i protest. happy december!
     is being offended a sin? well, it's a sin to be offended by truth -- but what about being offended by lies? i think this is a bit of a delicate point, since people can be offended in different ways. some people become angry and violent when they are offended, and that probably wouldn't be good. however, we shouldn't just accept lies and live with them. there come a time to be offended, and even to be angry. jesus was certainly offended a few times; for example, you probably remember when he turned over those tables in the temple. i'd say he was a bit offended by the things going on when he got there.
     then there's this question: is it a sin to offend someone? i think the answer has to be "no," because people are offended by truth, so being truthful could be offensive. if truth is offensive, and offense is a sin, then truth is sin -- this can't be. so no, offending people isn't a sin. i'd say that it's morally neutral. sure, we shouldn't try to provoke people to the point of making them sin. that'd be very unchristian of us. however, we shouldn't try to accommodate all of the narrow minded people we run across in life. i think it might even be a sin to not offend some people. perhaps offend is the wrong word here -- i think we are called, as the children of truth, to be challenging, and that is certainly offensive to some people.
     what, then, is the standard by which we should offend and appease? in thinking about this issue, i think that for the most part, offending people shouldn't be a factor in living. if we aren't offending god, we need not worry; and god went ahead and made it easy by telling us what he's offended by. he even made a few lists, which are found in the bible. if you stick with those (incidentally, you won't be able to if you try), you'll never have to worry about offending people. you will offend people, inevitably, but it's not your problem if you're truly living by god's expressed will.
     so should i or should i not say "happy december" to people? aren't i trying to offend them? sort of, yes. but am i not doing so for a reason -- that those who i offend might come to a better understanding of god's truth, and that they might let go of their so tightly held traditions? is that not the real reason jesus challenged the pharisees? he could've washed his hands like they did, and the issue would never have come up. he knew he would offend them by not washing his hands, and it would certainly have been permissible to do so. nowhere does god disallow the washing of hands. however, jesus abstained from washing his hands, to make a point. he did it to challenge and offend the pharisees. i think i'm following his example when i say "happy december" -- but you can go ahead and say "merry christmas" or "happy holidays" or "happy satanday" or whatever else you'd like to say this december season.

obsession

     a person recently left an angry comment on my other blog asking if i ever talk about anything besides god. she demanded to know if i did this to people in real life, and if my friends and i often sit around and talk about god. while i'm not really sure why she was angry, it's obvious she thinks it's weird to be so obsessed with something that seems so irrelevant. i suppose she sees my obsession with god like a four-year-old's obsession with barbies. it seems, to the observer, a futile pursuit. sure, it makes you happy for a while, but doesn't it ever get old?
     my little sister is practically obsessed with animals. i honestly don't understand why. she gets so upset about the injustices our society commits against animals. i often want to just say, "who cares? they're just animals -- it doesn't really matter, does it?"
     that's how i think the girl who left me the comment felt. see, she thinks that when i talk about god, i'm talking about this concept that christians have about god or something. this isn't the case, though. i'm not talking about a concept or an abstraction any more than a person who talks about their best friend is talking about some ambiguous, impersonal bemusement.
     i think a lack of obsession plagues our society today. i think it's part of why there are so many who have left the faith, it's why the divorce rate is so high, it's why values are bought and sold lightely, and it's why people react angrily to people who are obsessed with something.
     now i must make it clear that most things people are obsessed with are not good things to be obsessed with. for example, while animals aren't a bad thing to be interested in, they're not something that need consume the bulk of a person's interest (at the cost of other things). really, there's only one obsession that's good -- and that's an obsession about god.
     think about it: what could possibly be worth dedicating your entire life to? what doesn't die, doesn't fade, and will never let you down? it seems like god is the only answer there.
     i would take this idea of obsession a step further, though. rather than saying it is permissible and good to be obsessed with god, i'm going to argue that a life that isn't dedicated to god isn't worth living. sure, no one is going to be able to live entirely for god -- but if you're not trying to live for god, your life is worthless.
     if your life isn't dedicated to something or someone eternal, unchanging, and perfect, your life is futile. you aren't going to do anything that lasts forever on your own. the human race in its entirety can't do anything with eternal value. everything will fade, and everyone will die. what does that leave for us to live for? does it not leave only a dedication to god? is he not our only lasting hope for life? i think it's obvious that he is.
     there is another reason that i'd like to point out that god-obsessions make people mad. i think it's because there's conviction in encountering someone totally sold out to god. according to second corinthians chapter two verses fifteen through seventeen, christians have the aroma (in a figurative sense) of christ. when we come into contact with people, we smell like something. to the unbeliever, the god-obsessed christian smells like death. though they smell like life and love to fellow christians, they smell like conviction and condemnation to those that refuse to believe in the truth.
     my main point in all this is that we should be god-obsessed not because it's just a good thing, but because it's the only possible hope in life. rely completely on him -- on his love, on his power, on his grace -- and on nothing else. this is the essence of the god-obsession.

vanity of vanities, all is vanity

     reading through ecclesiastes, i'm struck by how hopeless it is. obviously, if you look at the title and background of this blog, i think that christianity is largely a path to hope. so why would a book of the bible seem to communicate hopelessness, instead of the amazing hope that the rest of the bible points to?
     i think it's because ecclesiastes isn't about christianity. obviously, being an old testament book, it couldn't be; but what i mean is that it isn't talking about life in the context of faith in god. it's talking about what life is without god -- and that, my friends, is utterly hopeless. it's vain. it's a worthless, pointless, reasonless existence, and nothing matters.
     there are two theories about the writing of the book of ecclesiastes: the first, that it's written in the style of king solomon, and imitating what it might be like if king solomon had written it; and second, that kind solomon wrote it. the biggest evidence for the first theory is that the bible records that solomon became apostate before he supposedly wrote this book. there is reason, however, to believe that there are documents we don't have which might record solomon's repentance and return to faith in god. if this is the case, and the second theory is true, it seems to fit the writing of this book perfectly, and it makes the book meaningful in that the experiences it describes are real and the author really has done what the book says he has done.
     all that said, i subscribe to the second theory, and this entry will be written assuming that king solomon really was the author of ecclesiastes, as tradition affirms. i think the message is most potent given this assumption. so, without further ado, let's jump in.
     the book of ecclesiastes is in large part about the meaninglessness of life. it talks about the futility of endless cycles of processes, like the rivers running to the ocean, yet the ocean never filling; or the sun constantly going around the earth. it talks about the futility of work, and pleasure, and of happiness. it talks about futility of living and dying, and ending up with no more than when you start. yet, in the end, this book leads to a message of hope.
     the vanity of the endless processes is one familiar to everyone. it doesn't just apply to natural cycles; how often do you feel like your life is repetitive and has lost its meaning? i know i too often get settled in a process of doing things that just goes in a cycle, and i end up detached and feeling unsatisfied with things. however, the bible gives us a message of hope, and a cure to break these cycles. it tells us that god's mercy is new with every morning -- it's not the same thing everyday; it's new! god's love and mercy defy the meaningless cycle of life, and give profound purpose to every moment.
     the worthlessness of things like progress, pleasure, and happiness are also apparent. when you look at the world, and see how far humanity has supposed come in the past few millenia, you must inevitably realize that, despite technological advances and improved understanding of things, people's lives are fundamentally unchanged. people have the same problems as they did thousands of years ago, and the modern man is just as discontent with his life as solomon was in old testament times. it's apparent that no true progress has been made; there is nothing new, and nothing worth seeking after. humanity has not discovered for itself a solution to feeling discontent and purposeless. again, the gospel intervenes with a message of hope. god has offered the world a gift that transcends the shallow problems of the world. he has offered us eternal life, true fulfillment, purpose, joy, and hope!
     yet again, ecclesiastes confronts us with more meaninglessness. solomon reaches the final, inescapable truth that everyone will die. you're born, you live, and you die. regardless of how your short, hopeless life goes, it gets erased in an instant. every conqueror of men is conquered by this ultimate conquerer of men, death. it is inescapable, unavoidable, and utterly final. it's not a fun thing to think about when you see that it's hopeless. but yet again, as solomon offers us more meaninglessness, god offers us meaning. christ has conquered the grave -- conquered death -- conquered the ultimate conquerer itself! through him, death is no longer a hopeless fate, but a glorious step into the next great adventure -- the true great adventure. we no longer turn no profit from our lives; rather, the things we do have eternal consequence, and therefore have eternal meaning!
     in the end, eccelsiastes offers a very brief response to the problem of meaninglessness. the solution? fear and obey god. solomon gives us a reason, too: it is so that we might be rewarded when god brings judgement to the acts of men! without god, there is no meaning; but in christ, we have purpose, meaning, and hope!

Blessed are the Sick, for They Shall Seek a Healer

     Ok, so that's not exactly one of the beatitudes, but I thought it would be a good phrase to jump this entry off. I’ve been looking around me and seeing a lot of Christians who are doing very well. Everyone’s life seems to be fine, nobody has any real problems, and we all seem amazingly content with the state of things. This, I think, is a serious problem.
     You see, the people around me (heck, even me!) don't look sick, and nobody is anything like broken. Some people might just think we've somehow mastered living properly and learned how to not make any serious mistakes. I have another perspective, though. As one of these people who don't appear sick, I’m pretty sure everyone is just ignoring their symptoms.
     As a Christian, I know perfectly well that everyone sins, and that everyone is poisoned by the sinful flesh they live in. if this is the case, we're all sick -- so why don't we look sick? Perhaps we've merely forgotten to see the symptoms. Our sickness is so common, we hardly notice it. We know there's no real cure except death and glorification, so why continue to take notice of sin? It seems old fashioned to live a life of penitent confession. It seems depressing, don't you think? Wouldn’t you much rather just focus on the joy, and peace, and love that Christ brought us? Who cares about sin when you've got Jesus?
     I think that, while focusing only on the happier aspects of life in Christ may be a reasonable, attractive, and even honest approach, it lacks some degree of reality. Sin is still just as real and just as serious for saved people as it is for unsaved people -- and it should be treated accordingly. I was listening to Derek Webb’s podcast recently, and Derek was talking about music. He said that Christian music often talks all about the happy, joyful things about being a follower of Christ, but leaves out the difficulty and hardships. He says that it's only a half-truth, and that a half-truth is just as good as a lie. Half-truths are misleading, and have the same effects as lies would.
     There’s another reason we as Christians should look seriously at our sins: it's that people don't like self-righteous people. People can't relate to people that look like they're perfect. What kind of witness are you to people who know they're fallen and broken if you don't look anything like them? In my experience, people listen to people who are like them. They don't listen to the advice of people who have never been where they are. A self-righteous person doesn't seem like the kind of person who could possibly understand what the broken person is going through, so whatever solution they offer will likely be disregarded.
On the other hand, someone who really sees their sin for what it is -- a terrible offense against the Almighty, worthy of eternal damnation -- will be a more humble person, and the kind of person that real people can relate to. We’ll be able to level with people completely, because we know that we're in the same boat as they are without Christ’s propitiation.
     Have you ever noticed how salespeople aren't always the most likeable people? You know they're just there to sell you something and tally up their earnings. They’re professionals who were hired to sell you a product, and consequently, they might have a hard time being convincing. This is how a lot of people see Christian evangelists -- as salespeople for Jesus. They see us as some brainwashed hypocrites reading a script, and it doesn't seem to them that we really care about the product. Sometimes, Christians just want to make a sale, and that's how they act.
     Now, have you ever had a friend tell you about some product they used (not that I advocate the treatment of god's gift of salvation as a "product" -- this illustration shouldn't be over-applied)? They’re not on the payroll of general mills; they're just telling you about the cereal they really liked. They’re not being coerced to tell you where to get cheap clothes; they're telling you because they discovered this great outlet mall when they had trouble paying for clothes like you do. They’re telling you about this Jesus character because they know what it's like to be guilty, drowning in your sin -- they're not trying to sell a product; they're trying to offer a solution that works!
     Last but not least, I’d like to point out the reality of the law. God gave the law to people for a specific reason: so they'd know what they're supposed to do, and what they're not supposed to do -- and then that they'd realize how totally screwed up they are. Realizing the state we're in ought to motivate us to seek god. If we were ok people who could make it through life just fine on our own, we wouldn't need saving. However, if we see ourselves as hopeless on our own -- which we are -- we'll be compelled to seek the cure for the disease that consumes our hearts.
     If you don't realize how horribly evil you are, how can you understand how much you've been forgiven? If you don't think you're sick, you'll never appreciate what the medicine does for you. I used to take medication for depression, and after taking the medication for a while I started to think I didn't need it anymore. I was doing fine, so i might as well not take it. See, I didn't think I was sick anymore, so I didn't think I needed medicine anymore -- that's a problem!
     In reality, our sickness is never quite healed -- not in this life, anyway. So if we ever feel as if we're healed, we're obviously not seeing things properly. Indeed, having been ultimately saved from our disease often causes us to forget we have a disease at all, but we must remember that without the cure -- without Christ -- we're hopeless and as good as dead already. We cannot let ourselves be lulled into a false sense of wellness!
     I suppose I'd like to conclude this with a sort of phrase of summary: if you don't constantly understand the extent and severity of your sin, you surely won't begin understand the extent and severity of God's grace! It is for this reason, then, that we must see our sin: that we might be better worshippers of our heavenly Father!