Assaulting God

The assault on God's image is a sin as old as mankind's original sin.  In the Garden, two people decided to strike out on their own and do their own thing.  It was for them a sorrowful celebration of self.  By their act they "became like God" and by their actions they became something entirely less than what they had hoped.

Their violation was not just in the eating of some random fruit, but their choosing to show God that they can fulfill themselves with lesser things.  Remember, their Garden was full of choice fruits with which they could eat their fill without any fear of punishment or disobedience.  These intended food sources were, no doubt, of the highest order of creation so as to sustain the highest object of creation... humankind. With their solidarity of action, they shook their fists at God rejecting choice fruits for thistles and thorns... lesser fruits.  Think of this for a moment... they chose to sustain themselves on the lesser.  Why was it lesser?  Because it wasn't intended for them.  It was set in the midst of the Garden as a point of choice.  God has never desired robots acting mechanically in relationship, but envisioned a creature that He love and who would return His love.  After all, this is the essence of His very nature... Love.  This is what He is.

In their act of defiance, they assaulted His nature.  Rebellion has never been a substitute for love.  Love is faithful and kind; it is patient and lasting. True love never fails.  Their rebellion was a cataclysmic slight against such a loving God; it was an assault on His Image. It was a strike at His very heart and nature.  It was anti-love.

This same assault is happening in America and it seems at an ever increasing rate.  Homosexuality is an assault on His Image.  God's intentions for humankind were of the purest motivations.  He designed for us each our complimenting counterpart in the opposite sex.  This complimenting counterpart was designed to bring harmony, completion and expression of His nature.  Our joining ourselves to the opposite sex in a marital relationship has so many practical and Divine functions that push mankind forward.  Procreation, celebration, completing love, partnership, companionship and only in marriage in each of its functions can we begin to understand the nature and love and relationship we are to have with God our Creator. 

For instance, in the function of marriage, once we become parents, we can understand for maybe the first time, the undying love and devotion a father or mother has for a child.  As a father, I first began to understand how it was possible for God to love me.  I looked at my first child as an infant, who had no talents, skills, could pay no rent, provide no food, who took up all of our time, cried a lot, stunk up our house with dirty diapers, yet in an instance without hesitation I would have jumped in front of a car for him, or gave him my own heart.  This is how we first see how God truly loves us so completely.  He loves us because we are His.

One more example, in a healthy marriage a husband and wife can experience the intimacy and closeness that God intends for us to have with Him.  We know from the Garden account in Genesis that man and woman were created naked and were not ashamed.  They walked and worked and talked in the Garden with God and each other naked before Him for there was no need to be ashamed.  This wasn't because they were buff and hot and in good physical condition, but because there was perfect trust and love between them and this trust and love never produced fear.  Have you ever thought how weird it is that as a married couple you can both be in the bathroom together getting ready to go somewhere and be brushing your teeth together or fixing your hair without a stitch of clothing on and it be completely comfortable, normal, not weird and without any shame?  Marriage provides the same context of relationship with which we were supposed to experience in the Garden originally with God.  With His model of love, there should be no fear and we can experience a little bit of what He must have intended in the Garden with our spouse.

Sure, some will argue that in their alternative life style they can experience these same things.  The difference however is that God is not involved. There's the selfish rebellion again that separated us from Him.  In order to be in communion with God the Bible clearly gives us the example that if we don't obey His commands, which is another way of saying -- participating in this life as HE designed it -- then we don't have the light in us (See I John 3).  Romans 1 is clear in saying that man and woman have left the natural affections and did degrading, unbelievable, unthinkable things with their same sex. They degraded the relationship God intended and used their bodies in ways God never intended. Again humanity was assaulting God's Image and nature.  In that same chapter of Romans, directly in the same context, Paul says that God abandoned them and turned them over to their depravity.  He had nothing to do with them and allowed them to live in their degraded, or should I say "lesser", passions.

This lifestyle is an affront and an assault directly on His Image.  Satan has taken God's first institutional relationship and has high-jacked it by convincing a percentage of humanity that this lesser fruit is just as desirable and acceptable as His higher-order fruit.  The Enemy has deceived our culture and now our nation is choosing to "institutionalize and normalize" homosexuality. Colossians 3 says that because of these sins, God's anger is coming to all who practice sin (read Colossians 3:1-11 for a listing of sins as well as Romans 1). We will see in our lifetime the acceptance by our governing bodies, in full force, the approval of these relationships all over our nation.  But guys -- church -- it doesn't make it okay or acceptable. 

The scriptures do not change and God will not be mocked by the Enemy for long.  God will be long suffering and He will show mercy and grace to those who seek it, but His anger will come and it will not be a time of decadent celebration. Dr. John Piper in the link I've provided above calls it the "new calamity".  New in the sense of our institutionalizing and normalizing this type of behavior.  Mankind wasn't intended to sustain itself on lesser fruits.  God has a greater, purer and more complete plan for His children.  He will forgive our sins if we ask, and He requires us to turn from these sins and He does provide a way of escape from temptation for those who have a propensity for such temptations.  Through God's powerful Holy Spirit such sins (not just homosexuality, but all sin) can be overcome and we can live in peace with God as He intended originally.

As the church, our response is love and acceptance -- not approval -- but acceptance of such sinners.  If we push them away before we ever get to teach and love them in Christ, then they can never be healed from these wounds of sin.  We are to share with them the truth because of our love for them and our desire not to see any lost for eternity in Hell.  We must pray for them, pray for our nation, and our leaders and show the unconditional love for homosexuals that Christ has for us.  This does not mean we should let homosexuals have leadership roles in our churches because of the biblical mandate of holiness that is required to be leaders in the church.  We must not be afraid to see sin as God sees sin and we must not be afraid to engage people and governments caught up in these deceptions, but our motives must be for God's glory and not because of our political leanings.

God help us, Your people.  Your will is that no one should perish in Hell; please help that to be the will of us, Your people as well.  Let our hearts be broken for the lost-ness of the culture around us.  Let us be in dire anguish that humankind, apart from You, are tumbling minute by minute into Hell -- that they were never intended for.  Please motivate Your people to move beyond the need to have the coolest, hippest churches that have no heart for Your Word despite how difficult Your word may be in the shade of our politically correct sensibilities. We need You God!  We need You God...

Social Justice Christianity?

The seemingly noble endeavor of ending childhood poverty and preventable death wherever they may be found in our world, without providing the Gospel in a lasting and permanent way, is to inflict upon that child an eternity of suffering and loss forever under the banner of do-gooding.  To the child with his belly full and heart empty, an unspeakable injustice has been served him.  

Think of this for a moment.  I just received an email that inspired the above thought (and, yes, you can quote me on it!).  Every time we buy a Bible through a particular, and might I add reputable, company a certain portion of the proceeds goes to the efforts of ending childhood poverty, hunger and preventable deaths.  It occurred to me that through Social Justice Christianity -- and I question why Christianity has to even be categorized as such -- we can often feel good about feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, or healing sick children through medicine only addresses a temporary need.  Are these things not needed?  Are these not noble and good causes?

"If a person owns the kinds of things we need to make it in the world but refuses to share with those in need, is it even possible that God's love lives in him?" 1 John 3:17 (The Voice)

The Bible says they are worthy. But full bellies and fevers reduced only addresses a worldly and temporary problem. Humanities problem goes much deeper. It's found in the soul. Jesus says in Matthew 16:26, "What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?" (NLT)  

There are things more terrible than hunger and poverty.  An eternity without Christ Jesus, is an unthinkable divorce from the realm of this temporary life.  So Do-Good?  Yes!  But let's not miss the great for doing the good we should be doing.  The greatest gift is the gift of eternal life in Christ.  Let's not forget that in our well doing.

Romans 1:20 (NLT)

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky.  Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities -- His eternal power and divine nature.  So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Where Are the Lovers?

Are there any who love God anymore? Who passionately want Him more than any other? Do any chase after even a moment in His presence? He would give us many. We are much more fond of lesser things.

We can hold lesser things in our grity, dirt-soiled palms, but who can behold the Almighty? He would let us, but do any seek Him?

No we seek every fading thing we can fathom because they offer temporary touching. But what's in a momentary touch but future longing and vague memory of things once held ... or were they? For we can hardly remember them. They don't satisfy for when we put those things back into their paces to fade eternally our memory of them fades as well and we're left longing again. Has He not ever satisfied fully?

None seek Him because He's not a temporary quick fix which is all we seem to stomach. We're whores for now and prudes for later. The eternal seems so distant to our squinting eyes and glory is darkened by drawn shades of ego driven doubt.

He alone can satisfy this insatiable longing with greater things than rags and dust. Do any seek Him?

He makes Himself findable and doesn't hide from those dirt-living weary. Do any love God? He has loved us. Where are His lovers?

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1 John 2:1-2 (NLT)

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin.  But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins -- and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

Do Not Love This World...

Lately, I've been thinking some of Hell.  More specifically the people that potentially will fill Hell... to such a degree that it makes itself bigger (meaning more people fall from the edges of this life into its abyss daily).

Francis Chan has a book due out in July called, "Erasing Hell". I've been watching promo videos about this book, reading interviews he's given on why he felt compelled by God to write such a book, etc.  It's probably the most anticipated book release I've ever waited for (because I can't think of another!)... but I'm a huge Francis Chan fan.  So all the curiosity has got me thinking.  As a side note to my curiosity, he's written this book, according to a Relevant Magazine interview, because of all the discussion orbiting Rob Bell's latest release, "Love Wins".  It's not the sole reason for his writing but one of the motivating factors.

...So I was driving with my family yesterday through a rough area of the Birmingham metro area and a guy was crossing the street adjacent to us.  He was dressed very roughly. He hadn't shaved in a while and looked pretty strung out from drugs or alcohol.  This guy wasn't a young kid or teen but was an older gentleman (not ancient for my wiser friends reading this blog) probably pushing fifty or more. That isn't necessarily old, but for the lifestyle this guy is probably living his body is probably 20+ years older inside from the abuses he no doubt has induced on himself.  As we passed him, I looked at his face and immediately the question came, "Is he going to one day be in Hell... forever?"  The thought sort of jarred me... thinking that this fellow could possibly, if not inevitably, find himself in eternal torment for the life he has chosen.

My next thought was to pull the car over and see if I could talk some sense in to this guy... to see if maybe I could tell him the truth and where his life was leading him.  I felt an urgency to almost shout it from the roof tops sort to speak that his life was in mortal trouble and his soul was hanging in the balance of eternity. But I was in a hurry. We were on the way to pick up my son, Caleb, and then we had to run meet a friend at the gym to attempt to make our bodies buff and we were really pressed for time.

The thought occurred to me this morning... who loves this world more?  Me or that guy?

1 John 2:15-17 (NLT)

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.  For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions.  These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave.  But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

Colossians 3:2-3 (NLT)

Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.

Weird Like Rain...

It comes down in drops, or torrents, or a barely visible mist
From up there, somewhere.
If you believe, then you know it comes from Someone and not just something.

If you don't believe, then what a strange occurrence rain is.
By chance, unguided, the world gets watered.
Without knowing, its weirdness is exactly what the Earth has ordered.
It is just what it needs
Or its deathly demise would be heaps of tumble weeds.

I wonder when it knew it was needed?
And at what moment was it conceived in the grand scheme of things?
Did the cosmos wait a billion years before it figured it out?
That two parts random gas and one part thin air were needed ingredients
For this primordial soup being stewed without a Chef?

I waited once in my kitchen for a billion years
And Nothing ever accidentally cooked a stew for me.

I nearly starved before I realized the simple stew that
I could cook for myself from other accidental ingredients
Would taste so good when I stirred the spoon and sipped from it
The concoction that consisted of ninety-five percent water.
Water that came from nowhere,
Unless you can venture to believe that God could conceive
Of something weird like rain.

Remembering...

Changing the look of one's blog is an exercise in letting go of comfortabilities. It's easy to get comfortable in the way things are, or the way things always have been, and change can come at some discomfort (if you didn't notice I changed my blog's template -- it was difficult, but I managed).  This is a good thing, right?  I'm only talking of a blog template and not the hard things in life.  Many in our area are dealing with a lot of change.  Temporary housing, finding a new/replacement vehicle, grieving over people lost in the recklessness of tornadoes.

I'm just reminded this morning that while we've moved on to life as usual, many are still picking up the pieces of shattered lives.  Houses can be replaced, cars inevitably will be too, but life is irreplaceable. While we disregard the loss of material goods with a flippant wave of the hand, empty encouragement of "you'll get more stuff" and the promise of a FEMA trailer, many of the homes destroyed perhaps had tiny hand prints in concrete patios with a date of when those reminders were pressed.  Just like a song can bring to mind a vivid memory, our homes are where our parents mark our growth on the door frames of our bedroom, the lawns in which we indented with knees and elbows learning to ride our first bike, or the stair case where our pictures were taken with date at arm on prom night.  The material possessions all too often are treasure chests full of jeweled memories of our lives which are now being buried in beaches of rubble.

Take time today to remember those whose lives haven't resumed a sense of normalcy yet, and to some degrees will never.  Pray for those who are still sifting through the pieces of their lives, thankful they're still alive but wondering where the road before them leads.  Be a comfort to a neighbor... or a neighborhood whom you've never met or never lived.

The love being poured out is a testimony to the goodness of God in His people in the midst of devastation. Let us take time to remember and to pray.