This morning I was drying my hair in typical pastor fashion when all of a sudden my hair dryer started blowing cool air and then stopped working all together. You must understand the pastor's obsession with his hair to fully appreciate this. There is only a small window of oppotunity that gives the pastor that optimum in Bible-preaching preacher look. I was nearly panicked. After shaking the device and fooling with the plug, the hot wind machine fired up and I acheived that silky fresh look I desired.
Once the commotion had settled, I noticed that the hair dryer had a filter on the back of it designed to catch debris before it entered into the air intake. It was full of lint. I thought it wise after my battle with the huffy dryer to clear that filter of its debris. Let me just tell you, that stuff was gross and hard to get out. It took me nearly 20 minutes to clean out my hair dryer. I found long hair (doubtless, from my wife), curly hair (from my son) short hair (from any number of culprits) and lint. What is lint? All of these things individually and separately congregated in that filter and slowed the air flow to the point of dryer malfunction. And then it hit me!
Hair dryer lint is just like sin. It's gross. It comes in different shapes and sizes and from different sources. It takes a long time to get it out if it ever gets in. And, it will cause you to malfunction if you don't deal with it. The filter on my hair dryer is what saved it from total ruin. I simply removed the filter, cleaned it and replaced it and my hair dryer was off and running! Like that filter, Christian people need to place filters in their lives - an early detection service, if you will. We need to study and learn God's Word so that we know what we're looking for and how to deal with it once we find it. We need to participate in church and get to know some Christian people who can help us in our battle against sin. We need to give ourselves to purity and holiness by taking time periodically to clean our filters. If we do anything less than that, then we miss our opportunity for optimum Christlikeness. Go clean your filter before you blowup your dryer!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Technology and the Truth
Recently I opened accounts with some online networking sites. No! I didn't log on to those kinds that match people up for relationships. I'm happily married and have a house of full of children; so, I don't need a website to assist me with finding my soulmate. I've already found her. One of them in particular, myspace.com, has a lot of my friends on it and I thought that would be a great place for me to network and meet some new friends and kind of keep of with old friends. So....I signed up and got me an account. All was well until I got a hand full of unsolicited requests for friendship from some pornographic places. I closed my account with myspace.
When I first opened my account, I was intrigued by the responses of my friends and family. Some were shocked. Some were excited. Some were indifferent. Initially, all of my friends who were excited signed up to be my friends and I communicated with a few of them, but, in truth, I found it easier to just talk with them when I saw them or shoot them an email. So...my internet network really wasn't helping me to network that well. As time moved on and I received my unsolicited solicitations, I decided that keeping the account wasn't worth the effort. That's why I closed the account.
I didn't tell you about my friends who were shocked that I would open an account on myspace. Some of my friends were very passionate in their dislike of my decision. Some went so far as to say, "You're a Chrisitan. A Pastor. You should NOT be on myspace." Certainly, there were a few so radical that I think they would prefer I live in a monestary, but most were just shocked that I would even consider the possibility of opening such an account. I thought I might be able to share the Gospel through my account like many of my preacher friends do. I didn't have the time to do that and because of the other things I've told you about, I closed the account. So, here is the question. Can Christians use technology to advance the Gospel even if that same technology is used by the enemy for ungodly purposes? I believe the answer is YES!
Not only is the answer YES, but I think Christian people should be engaging the lost world more aggressively than we are. I had a few friends when I was in New Orleans who would go into the stripper clubs to witness to the people there. They were involved in combat evangelism! There is no other way of describing that kind of witnessing. They would pray forever, study endlessly and when they were right with God and prepared to take on the enemy on his turf, they would go into those places and share the Gospel. Many were saved by their witness. The same idea holds true for technology. The technology is morally neutral - it is neither good nor bad. It simply is. What people do with it, though, is another matter entirely!
What would the cyber world be like (for that matter, what would the real world be like) if all Christians everywhere decided to live out their faith before a watching world? What impact would be felt if every Christian articulated their beliefs in the liquor store instead of buying liquor in the liquor store? The liquor store clerk needs Jesus. Could you imagine, though, what the Christian gossip network would be like if they saw me, the Pastor, coming out of the liquor store? I'll guarentee you, noboday would say, "Pastor John must have been witnessing to that lady behind the counter." They would say, "Oh, dear God! There's the preacher coming out of the liquor store!"
Here's the real question. Is there anyplace off limits for the Gospel. The answer is no. We need to carry the Gospel on to school campuses. Teens can do that when adults can't. We need to carry the Gospel into the prisons. Prinsoners can do that when free people can't. We need to carry the Gospel to drug users and pushers. We need to carry the Gospel to pimps and prostitutes. We need to carry the Gospel to all the nations. We even need to carry the Gospel to the cyber world. Jesus said that we are the light of the world. We need to let the light shine even in the darkest of places. In fact, it is in the darkest of places that the light shines the brightest. Why don't you figure out a way to use technology to share the Gospel and get busy shining your light. In fact, if you come up with any thing creative, send it to me via email. Blessings!
When I first opened my account, I was intrigued by the responses of my friends and family. Some were shocked. Some were excited. Some were indifferent. Initially, all of my friends who were excited signed up to be my friends and I communicated with a few of them, but, in truth, I found it easier to just talk with them when I saw them or shoot them an email. So...my internet network really wasn't helping me to network that well. As time moved on and I received my unsolicited solicitations, I decided that keeping the account wasn't worth the effort. That's why I closed the account.
I didn't tell you about my friends who were shocked that I would open an account on myspace. Some of my friends were very passionate in their dislike of my decision. Some went so far as to say, "You're a Chrisitan. A Pastor. You should NOT be on myspace." Certainly, there were a few so radical that I think they would prefer I live in a monestary, but most were just shocked that I would even consider the possibility of opening such an account. I thought I might be able to share the Gospel through my account like many of my preacher friends do. I didn't have the time to do that and because of the other things I've told you about, I closed the account. So, here is the question. Can Christians use technology to advance the Gospel even if that same technology is used by the enemy for ungodly purposes? I believe the answer is YES!
Not only is the answer YES, but I think Christian people should be engaging the lost world more aggressively than we are. I had a few friends when I was in New Orleans who would go into the stripper clubs to witness to the people there. They were involved in combat evangelism! There is no other way of describing that kind of witnessing. They would pray forever, study endlessly and when they were right with God and prepared to take on the enemy on his turf, they would go into those places and share the Gospel. Many were saved by their witness. The same idea holds true for technology. The technology is morally neutral - it is neither good nor bad. It simply is. What people do with it, though, is another matter entirely!
What would the cyber world be like (for that matter, what would the real world be like) if all Christians everywhere decided to live out their faith before a watching world? What impact would be felt if every Christian articulated their beliefs in the liquor store instead of buying liquor in the liquor store? The liquor store clerk needs Jesus. Could you imagine, though, what the Christian gossip network would be like if they saw me, the Pastor, coming out of the liquor store? I'll guarentee you, noboday would say, "Pastor John must have been witnessing to that lady behind the counter." They would say, "Oh, dear God! There's the preacher coming out of the liquor store!"
Here's the real question. Is there anyplace off limits for the Gospel. The answer is no. We need to carry the Gospel on to school campuses. Teens can do that when adults can't. We need to carry the Gospel into the prisons. Prinsoners can do that when free people can't. We need to carry the Gospel to drug users and pushers. We need to carry the Gospel to pimps and prostitutes. We need to carry the Gospel to all the nations. We even need to carry the Gospel to the cyber world. Jesus said that we are the light of the world. We need to let the light shine even in the darkest of places. In fact, it is in the darkest of places that the light shines the brightest. Why don't you figure out a way to use technology to share the Gospel and get busy shining your light. In fact, if you come up with any thing creative, send it to me via email. Blessings!
Monday, March 24, 2008
The Cost of Doing What's Right
There is a cost or costs associated with almost everything. We understand this concept in the market place. If I want to have a new car, then I must be able and willing to pay the seller's price. In that example, I also have to be willing and able to pay for the insurance, taxes and any maintenance. When we leave the marketplace, though, we don't always readily see the costs of what we want or what we do. In the realm of relationships, whether marriage, business or otherwise, there is a different kind of economy that works in determining costs. Cost comes not with money or precious metal, but with things like trust and character.
When you consider the cross and the resurrection, you are contemplating nothing less than God's sovereign plan of redemption. The Scripture is filled with references that indicate that the Father sent the Son. You'll find plenty of places where the Son speaks of offering himself to satisfy God's requirements. Ultimately, God's plan of redemption cost him his only son. Ultimately, Jesus' desire to please the Father and redeem sinful humanity cost him His life. Ultimately, God's plan of salvation cost God more than any one or any group of people could pay.
In the same way, when we attempt to do something the right way - God's Way - it costs us something. This is true in your life as a personal follower of Christ and it is also true of a faith community. Doing life God's way costs us. When a church calls a minister on staff, it costs us. When a church stands against sin, it costs us. When a church stands for the Gospel, it costs us. With all of these things come cost. I would conjecture, though, that not calling ministerial staff, not standing against sin, not standing for the Gospel or not doing life God's way costs us far more than if we choose not to pay the price for doing it his way.
Let me illustrate with the resurrection. The plan of redemption as designed and implemented by God cost Christ his life and the Father his son. That price was not wasted, though. It was invested. I say it was invested because of the resurrection. From our perspective we see the whole story of what God in Christ did for us through his life, death and resurrection. For the people watching the story unfold, they couldn't see the resurrection. They placed their faith in Jesus as the Messiah and it cost them. When he died and they were left alone for those few days, they thought their beleif in the Messiah cost them everything. Truly, if he had stayed dead, their belief probably would have cost them everything - maybe even their lives. But the resurrection happened. All that they thought they had lost during those few days was recovered with interested added. That isn't called a cost. That's called an investment.
For people of faith who look forward to the second coming of Jesus, we have to look at the cost of living the Christian life and recognize it as an investment. It takes faith to do that. Actually, I think we're called to live a life of faith and not sight, anyway! May God help us to see that sacrificing our creature comforts or wants in order to give more to missions isn't an expense. It is an investment. Giving our time in service to God doesn't keep us from doing what we want to do, by faith our service is an investment in what we become. Reading our Bibles doesn't prevent us from reading anything else, it is an investment in our character development. Whatever it is you perceive to be an expense in living the Chrisitan life now is really an investment in what God would have you become. If you don't believe me, live for the Lord and you'll see when Jesus comes back. If you don't believe me, then live for yourself. You'll still see when Jesus comes back. I just hope you have enough faith to see it now while you have time to make an investment!
When you consider the cross and the resurrection, you are contemplating nothing less than God's sovereign plan of redemption. The Scripture is filled with references that indicate that the Father sent the Son. You'll find plenty of places where the Son speaks of offering himself to satisfy God's requirements. Ultimately, God's plan of redemption cost him his only son. Ultimately, Jesus' desire to please the Father and redeem sinful humanity cost him His life. Ultimately, God's plan of salvation cost God more than any one or any group of people could pay.
In the same way, when we attempt to do something the right way - God's Way - it costs us something. This is true in your life as a personal follower of Christ and it is also true of a faith community. Doing life God's way costs us. When a church calls a minister on staff, it costs us. When a church stands against sin, it costs us. When a church stands for the Gospel, it costs us. With all of these things come cost. I would conjecture, though, that not calling ministerial staff, not standing against sin, not standing for the Gospel or not doing life God's way costs us far more than if we choose not to pay the price for doing it his way.
Let me illustrate with the resurrection. The plan of redemption as designed and implemented by God cost Christ his life and the Father his son. That price was not wasted, though. It was invested. I say it was invested because of the resurrection. From our perspective we see the whole story of what God in Christ did for us through his life, death and resurrection. For the people watching the story unfold, they couldn't see the resurrection. They placed their faith in Jesus as the Messiah and it cost them. When he died and they were left alone for those few days, they thought their beleif in the Messiah cost them everything. Truly, if he had stayed dead, their belief probably would have cost them everything - maybe even their lives. But the resurrection happened. All that they thought they had lost during those few days was recovered with interested added. That isn't called a cost. That's called an investment.
For people of faith who look forward to the second coming of Jesus, we have to look at the cost of living the Christian life and recognize it as an investment. It takes faith to do that. Actually, I think we're called to live a life of faith and not sight, anyway! May God help us to see that sacrificing our creature comforts or wants in order to give more to missions isn't an expense. It is an investment. Giving our time in service to God doesn't keep us from doing what we want to do, by faith our service is an investment in what we become. Reading our Bibles doesn't prevent us from reading anything else, it is an investment in our character development. Whatever it is you perceive to be an expense in living the Chrisitan life now is really an investment in what God would have you become. If you don't believe me, live for the Lord and you'll see when Jesus comes back. If you don't believe me, then live for yourself. You'll still see when Jesus comes back. I just hope you have enough faith to see it now while you have time to make an investment!
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