Earthly Decisions Matter

'We see either the dust on the window or the view beyond the window, but never the window itself.'

                                                                    ~ Simone Weil

Early Christians in the Roman Empire had it rough; in the beginning they were considered heretical Jews. 
Later, they were thought to be cannibals - partaking of the 'body and blood' of Christ.
Mostly, they were poor, rejected and ridiculed by the majority of society who could not fathom an intelligent human being believing a dead man had risen from the grave.

On the other side were the Romans; who, in their society were outwardly virtuous but behind closed doors and in private - they were decadent to the core.
At that time, Rome was prided as being tolerant and praised for being broad-minded.

For the individual Christian, they walked a very thin line between good and evil; every choice mattered.

Roman Coliseum

One of the great questions addressed by the Apostle Paul of the early Church was whether or not they were allowed to eat meat which had been sacrificed to an idol. The early Christians simply did not want to do anything that would impede their witness or cause another to stumble or deny Christ in any way.

For hundreds of early Christians, though begged by compassionate Romans to take the worshipful loyalty oath to Caesar, they chose execution in the Coliseum, rather than go through the motions.

Every choice mattered.
It still does.

In the modern world and even in many modern churches, there is a great promotion of tolerance. In society, there is the acceptance of a civil religion which is to offend none while glorifying the nation.
In both, there is little mention of the invisible Kingdom which demands of us our loyalty at all costs.
At the heart of every choice we make is the reality that there are two worlds constantly at war with one another existing on our planet.

Did you know that it is possible to adjust a microscope so that it reflects your own eye?
It's true - and this may be what is happening spiritually in our world today.
The world disguises the true nature of the universe; reflecting back to us a corrupted vision of what we think the true nature may be. 
It is as if there is a curtain to true reality. 

A full one-third of Scripture deals with the invisible world; though modern preaching and teaching has strayed from this emphasis.
The truth is every decision or choice we make, in every instant of human time or space, all we do in this life has consequences in both the spiritual and physical world.

And generally speaking, it was not until the 20th Century that societies attempted to live without God and the spiritual.
The Soviet Union sought to set up a government on what was described as 'dialectical materialism.'
As such, religious faith was a major obstacle because an individual could not have divided

Soviet Propaganda

loyalties; the Christians knew this as well for Jesus taught that a person could not serve God and Mammon.

The result was the shuttering of 98% of all Churches, almost entirely Orthodox. 
The Communist government also killed over 42,000 priests and published their own national newspaper called, 'The Godless.'
And in some schools, kindergarten children were instructed to pray to God; but nothing happened. Afterward, they were instructed to pray to Joseph Stalin, then were given a bag of candy.
The resulting theology or "manology" - trust your leader for your needs, not an invisible God. 

As a result, for 75 years, the USSR theoretically committed to justness and equality in the present hour of their government; but ultimately, they achieved the exact opposite.
Some may have had the best intentions when the Bolshevik Revolution began, but the creation of the Soviet Union was the creation of the greatest monster ever known to man.

One of Russia's great authors, Dostoyevsky, once stated, "Without God, everything is permitted."
This proved tragically true.
During the reign of the Soviets, about 60 million citizens were killed at the hands of the government.
And if the Soviets had succeeded, there would be no religious faith in Russia today; but they failed.

Unlike the United States, in Russia today they teach the Ten Commandments in public schools.
And in a wonderful turnaround, 61% of Russians identify themselves as believers. 
If the communists had succeeded, Russia would not have such an influx of of new cathedrals being built today as is taking place.
But again, the Soviets failed as the physical world proved once again to have great limits; especially when it comes to the spiritual nature of man and his world.

While faith tends to swing like a pendulum in the individual heart and in societies as a whole, how do you explain such horrid things like what the Soviets tended to do?
The Communists were an outward slap at all things religious; why didn't God stop them?

Well, I can't answer that question simply and maybe not completely; but I can give you some insight.
William Shakespeare wrote that evil  reigns in the visible world; it is brazen. But God is subtle.
This tends to be true most of the time; yet, it is usually the subtle that rules at the end of the day.
Scripture speaks of spiritual powers - actual realities that cannot be explained in physical or material terms.

If you ask an unbeliever why the Soviets did what they did, they would point to political reformation or possibly the evolution of society or something of a social science nature.
I would disagree.

For if you look at the history of Russia at the time of its revolution or even at Hitler's Germany, these cannot be explained in terms of evolution or politics. 
Insanity simply seized the people.

On another front, there was no logic in the Cold War arms race; if one government attacked the other with nuclear weapons, the policy was literally defined by the acronym M.A.D.
It means - Mutual Atomic Destruction.
This is not sane.

There in no logic in a sniper killing people in a mall; nor is there any in an adult male shooting children and teachers on a school campus, be it Sandy Hook or Virginia Tech.
And what logic is there in corporate greed stealing the pensions of the elderly?
Why is it and what is it that keeps the United States from sheltering the millions of homeless on the streets tonight, especially the combat veterans? There are more empty houses than there are homeless, so this shouldn't really be a problem.
What keeps us from feeding the hungry? I don't know because there is more food on the planet than there is people who can eat it.

These are not the questions that can be answered logically or physically or with materialism; in fact, it may be logic, physical solutions and materialism that keeps us from solving these issues for they are true walls to spiritual answers.

Are these things due to forces beyond our control?
Not really, because the New Testament has no problem identifying those forces and every one of them come back to a spiritual problem in the human heart.

Whatever may be going on in  your life, or in your church - I can promise you that the real struggle that is waged is to be fought against that which we do not see.
It is this same battle in which Christ has already given you the victory; a victory achieved by faith in the decisions and choices we make every day in honoring the Lord through our lives.

In truth, there is much more happening than what is visible to the human eye; but there is little which happens which does not effect the human heart.

Until next time, win one for the good guys.

The Redemption of Pain

Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.

                                                         ~Khalil Gibran

For years I have dealt with pain and suffering; whether it were that of other people or of my own. 
Some people believe that their suffering and pain is greater than any other person's has ever been; only the truly arrogant can conceive such a thought. For all pain is equal, but different.
Others have painful times physically, some emotionally.

Regardless, the Christian view of suffering should be centered upon the redemptive factor it contains. 
Pain, physical or emotional, causes us to suffer; yet, it also contributes to our life.

Many times we question whether or not God 'sends' suffering.
Does He make it happen, or does He allow it to happen?
Is pain and suffering for some greater goal of God's we cannot fathom?
Well, I'm not sure entirely; but I do know that in the Gospels, Jesus doesn't tell people that god has sent suffering into their lives so that their character will be better developed.
In fact, not once did Jesus lecture the suffering; He healed them.
We would do well to seek healing with those who are hurting rather than to try and describe to them why they are suffering.

With the leper, Jesus touched Him and then healed him - certainly an act of uncleanliness in His time; but He knew as well as anybody, to help those who are unclean, sometimes you must enter the filth which surrounds them.

With the woman caught in adultery, Jesus didn't defend her actions but neither did He take part in the act of stoning.
When it was over, He didn't lecture the crowd nor the woman; He admonished her to repent and sin no more.

You see, throughout the New Testament, the suffering passages, whether physical or emotional, God shows us how a 'bad' thing can be redeemed for our good and His glory.
We would do well to seek to do the same; even when we are hurt by those we love or face an uncertain future with our health.

Modern Christians tend to respond in America to the message of 'God has a wonderful plan for your life.' This is not the message of the New Testament, nor that of the early Church.
In fact, I don't remember one prophet beginning any message with that phrase.

The Persecuted Church

The Apostles wrote to persecuted Christians, and they wrote about the redemptive quality of suffering.
And today the message is the same to us - the suffering of any Christian can be redeemed in ways they could not have imagined at the time of their pain.

Yet, too often the person who is suffering and is the object of that pain, forgets of the work of God going on behind the scenes.
Many times when this happens, the individual can become consumed with bitterness, secret schemes to retaliate, or even hate.
Christians of this nature are easy to spot generally; yet, even when they are not and keep their true nature hidden, it will come to the surface at some point and be exposed.
They will focus on themselves and make others an image of ridicule; funny, I don't remember reading anything that placed Jesus in that type of light.

Instead, Jesus died on a day that we call Good Friday.
On the day that Christ died, it was as if all nature took notice of His death; witnessing the greatest crime in the history of the universe as God's Son hung on a Cross.
But you see, with true redemption, there is a person going through pain and who is suffering; they don't try to steer clear of it or go around it because it is easier.
That individual does what God leads them to do, no matter how painful the temporary suffering might be.

It is at this point in a person's life where they will go through a 'hinge' moment.
This is a crossroad where a person must make a decision they may not want to make; the future may be looming and a see of the unknown lies ahead.
Yet, that decision which will effect the rest of their life must be made.
And what it boils down to is if you are going to be faithful or not to the Lord; when this involves the future, it is a huge challenge - especially when others are involved.

By definition, to redeem something means that someone must pay a price.
For example, to redeem humanity and the planet which we destroyed, someone had to die and that "someone" was the very Son of God.
But in this new state of available redemption, it is a forward looking opportunity, not a backward dwelling hindrance. 
Yet, even in this new state, scars remain.

For example, an alcoholic may give up drinking but the physical scars on his liver will remain; as will the emotional scars on his family.
Spiritually, though Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead - His scars remain.

Murrah Building After Bombing

In Oklahoma City, those involved in the tragedy of the 1995 bombing of the federal building are on a life-long journey of healing; yet, the scars caused by the act of terrorism must continually be endured.

And in our lives, whether it is a Church division, a divorce, a disease such as cancer or even a death of someone close to us - the painful memories will never disappear.
But those memories and those past actions can be redeemed.



The truth of the matter is that eventually, we will live 'Happily Ever After.'

Happily Ever After

But this day will come only when the redemptive story ends; it will end only when Christ returns and redeems all things.
In the meantime, you and I are stuck in the middle of the story as characters who cannot yet see the end. 
But it is an end that is worth fighting for in honor and integrity even when we are in pain and when we are suffering because of physical limitations or the emotional damage caused by another.

For you see, however unclear the story of life may be to us, it is God who is writing the story.
And this means it is a story and an ultimate redemption of our pain that we can trust; for His name is 'Faithful and True.'

Until next time, win one for the good guys.

The Blasphemy of the Church

"I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man."

                          ~ Napoleon Bonaparte

I've been a Christian for many, many years and it still amazes me how people think of Jesus.
The things in life we deem so important aren't even mentioned about Him in Scripture; even those closest to Him give no indication of His physical features.
Yet, what I have found is the fact that people tend to impose of Jesus their own beliefs and thoughts of what the Lord ought to be rather than who He truly is.

I grew up in a fine local church where behind the baptistery was a stained-glass image of Jesus holding a lamb; it was the picture of Jesus as our shepherd.
Indeed, He is.
At the seminary I attended, there were a series of paintings depicting various scenes from the Apocalypse as described by the Apostle John.
In one such painting, Jesus is seen on the canvas as the returning King and Judge of the world.
He is these as well.

Both artists have infused what they believed in their heart Jesus to be on to their artistic mediums. 
Christians do the same, but we do not necessarily use artistic means to communicate what we believe; instead, people will know what we believe about God by simply watching our lives.
Because of this fact, at times, there is no greater blasphemy of God to be found on earth.

In the older movies of a bygone era, Jesus was often portrayed as stern, unemotional, without feeling - moving through life with another world in mind.
To me, this 'Prozac Jesus' never really communicated the whole truth of who He is or what He has done for the benefit of humanity.
Others agreed.

When the 1960's and '70's dawned, with them came a reinvention of Jesus Christ.
This may seem strange, but every filmmaker and author who portrays Jesus does so through a lens of their own bias.
The same is true for every Christian.

The real question is - Who do you believe Jesus really is and is that the same Jesus we find in the Gospels?
The evidence of such, it will be found through the life you lead, how you interact with people and what you say to them. 

For example, when Christians do things in secret, trying to get their 'way' in a church or garner support for things that aren't Godly; what does this say about their faith?
What does it say about who they believe Jesus is?
This is a question which is not for me to answer, but if we had to judge Jesus Christ by the worldly actions of some church leaders, many would never come to know Jesus as their Lord.
Indeed, for this reason, many do not and will endure eternal separation.

In 1969, President Nixon personified the pride of the American people when our astronauts were confirmed as stepping foot on the moon, by saying:
"It's the greatest day since Creation."
That was when Billy Graham reminded the President of Christmas and Easter.
Touche. 

While the President was consumed with American pride, he boasted in the success of the moon landing; momentarily forgetting of the work of Christ.
At times, Christians will become consumed with ourselves, our lives, our wants and desires - and in that selfishness, forget all about who Christ is and make Him in an image of ourselves.

In many of my writings, I often return to the question of suffering, of evil in the world, of pain.
These familiar themes betray me; for, I know something of feeling the cold blow of evil, of betrayal, of suffering through disease and the physical and emotional pain which comes from it all.
It is like I am fingering an old wound which never really heals.

When God does not respond in our lives like we think He should, we tend to act on our own.
This is blasphemy because we are to imitate Him and not think Jesus should imitate our lives; if He did, I can promise few would follow Him.
Yet, we still want God to rescue us from the scene of suffering and pain.

Job's great accusation against God:
"Do you have eves of flesh?"
If we were to ask the same today in our time of suffering, the answer would be a clear and strong, 'yes.'
God does have eyes, flesh and a voice through the person of His Son, but also through every man and woman who is called by His name.
God is not mute nor is He unfeeling; He feels just as you feel for when we hurt, He hurts.
And when we injure another believer, it is as if we have injured God Himself for He is within us by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Often we hear of Christians, 'seeking the will of Jesus...' for their church or their lives.
The problem with this is that most Christians cannot look beyond themselves to 'find' Jesus' will for either their lives or the local church - if they could, there wouldn't be as many people who have sworn off the church because of the undue pain it has caused them.
But I digress.

It is true that most Christians can only see themselves in Jesus.
For example, the Lakota tribe refers to Jesus as 'the Buffalo calf of God.' That's fitting for Indians found on the Plains.

The Cuban government, on the other hand, circulates a painting among the people of Jesus with a carbine slung over His shoulder. They tend to see the Lord as a political revolutionary.
In the wars of religion with France, the English would often shout, "The Pope is French, but Jesus Christ is English."

Quiet simply, people have a hard time looking beyond themselves for a true image of Jesus in their lives - thus placing an image of themselves in His place.


I own countless books written about Jesus.
Some picture Him as a revolutionary, a magician, as the husband of Mary Magdalene, a Jewish cynic, a prophet and even a cult leader.
Some describe Him as black, like Africans; while most of the paintings I have seen of Him show Jesus with fair skin.
I am told that there are images of Jesus similar to the Hindu gods in India and even a few Asian versions with Jesus having slanted eyes.

Quite frankly, this only tells us of our failings as Christians; giving Jesus our flaws rather than allowing Jesus to hep transform us into becoming more like Him.
To make Jesus like me, or you - that is blasphemy.

Honestly, it has been my observation that if you want to see what people really think of God, just look at how they live and what they talk about.
And if you do this, you will be confronted by the issue of wondering what in the world some people see in the Gospels about Jesus that makes them so mean and angry towards others.
If they didn't think God was that way, they wouldn't act that way - which leads us to wonder why some people lie, gossip and hurt their brothers and sisters in Christ while claiming that right because they occupy a church office.
You never see that in Jesus, only in humanity and if a person acts this way because they think Jesus acted in this manner, it is pure blasphemy against God.

In Scripture, there are few details on Jesus' family; in fact, scholars still debate whether Jesus Himself had brothers and sisters or if the words referring to his siblings should be more accurately translated as 'cousins.'
In the Gospels, written by those who knew Him best, there is not one word given for a physical description of Jesus.
There is no mention of His shape, His stature, hair or skin color and not even a mention as to the pitch of His voice.
These are facts we place much on in our time and in our world; but were of little consequence to the Gospel writers. 

The main thrust of the writers of the New Testament in general and the Gospels in particular is the fact that Jesus died as a sacrifice to bring fallen humanity forgiveness from God if we will simply believe in His work on the Cross.
Honestly, I don't really care what color Jesus' skin is; I only need to know that He loved me enough to die for me so that I may have abundant life in His name.

Knowing this, any fog of life, its inconsistencies, its pain or suffering, any of these things should soon clear up when we look to the Gospels themselves and there see revealed the real Jesus.
For in the Scripture, there is no propaganda, only truth.

Until next time, win one for the good guys.