I am going to have to be careful not to rant in this post...(I have read it over and concluded that I have failed at not ranting)
If there is one thing in this world that makes me laugh, and my blood boil all at the same time it is this INSANE fear of culture that so many "Christians" have. (I say this as a Pastor, and follower of Christ myself)
Why do "Christians" fear ideas that differ from theirs? "they" would say...."we don't want to be corrupted"....my interpretation: "They don't realize the amazing gift that Christ has given them!!!"
They see culture as the "enemy"....that's ludicrous...We are ALL a part of this society and therefore a part of CULTURE! God never said "fear culture"....He said fear God alone...to fear God is the beginning of all wisdom!
They will say: "We are to be separate and not have a part of culture"....I say: "You are wrong, we are not to have a part of the "fruitless deeds of darkness"...the deeds! The evil that is in our culture, that is what we are not to have a part of....NOT culture and society itself!
They will refute and say: "But culture has so much evil in it; why even get close" I say: Because Christ has set me FREE from sin so that I may bring light into the darkness (which means I must go into it's midst.."expose them (the evil deeds)" And if you will separate yourself from "culture" for that reason, then you must do the same in all aspects of life that may have "evil" in them....Last I looked...even in Christian communities...within local churches, there is evil...Why have you not separated yourself from that? Within our own bodies, the flesh still exercises power...what will you do with that? The only answer for any of that is CHRIST HIMSELF...
Yet...they shun culture...therefore witholding the very thing that can free those who most need Christ!
They that fear culture, place their fear in the wrong place...and do not understand rightly the amazing gift, and therefore the amazing call that God has on their lives!
Paul made clear in Ephesians that our battle is NOT against flesh and blood...it's not against culture, or people...it's against the evil which is so prevelant around us.
Those who refuse to engage culture are selfish; they may try to take a high and mighty stance; but it is see through, and disgusting! How can you have the amazing, abundant life of Christ within you and NOT go running into the middle of our culture that God has put us in proclaiming that there is Truth, and there is Freedom, and there is Salvation! (...I convict myself as well with this last statement, because I could and should do even more) Don't take the self righteous stance of "shunning culture"...This was not the practice of Jesus, nor of his followers...why should it be ours now?!
If you have Christ in you, you have Truth, and Life, and the ONLY way to God! You have nothing to fear in this world because Christ himself has defeated it! "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light!" (Eph 5:8) Culture is NOT our enemy, it is our reality in this physical world, you are not meant to escape it...Christ wants to transform it!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Purpose...?
What is your purpose in life?
Simple question right? Or is it?
Is "purpose" different than "goals"? I think so...yet how so?
The question of purpose has been on my mind a lot the last little while...Where does purpose come from? Is it different for each person? Can someone truly be without purpose?
I might just ask questions the rest of this entry, because the more I think about it the more it makes me wonder...
I think when people talk about their purpose in life it is usually talked about in terms of what they feel "they need to do"; what they need to get accomplished. Does this mean that we are defined simply by our drive to "do things"? If so, what happens when those things are interrupted, or cut off all together? Do we cease to have purpose simply because our drive to do things is gone, or because we feel there is just nothing for us to do?....
Or is purpose something deeper within all of us...something that is ALWAYS there regardless of whether or not it is acted upon...Something placed within us when we were created...
Purpose must be part of us...it must be within us, at the core of who we are...but I think we often miss that fact.....We define "purpose" by our "goals"...goals that WE set. But as I said...what happens when those goals change...or seem to disappear completely? Do we cease to have purpose...if so, why continue? What a hopeless thing to be defined simply by the perishable things we pursue!! Yet, this is how we often define ourselves...and granted, it works for many...at least for a time...but if your purpose is completely tied up in the perishable things of this world...what happens when those things cease, and your spirit is left?
What if your purpose is deep within, and always has been from your first breath...or even before??! What if you were created for something so much more than things that perish?! The Bible tells us that we were "created in God's image"....unfortunately, we messed that up with Sin...BUT that never changed the purpose for why you and I were created...we were created to know God, to reflect God....and he made sure that was still possible by sending Jesus...
Eternal Purpose is within you...but it is only made alive through he life of Christ...Purpose is yours today if you choose it...
Simple question right? Or is it?
Is "purpose" different than "goals"? I think so...yet how so?
The question of purpose has been on my mind a lot the last little while...Where does purpose come from? Is it different for each person? Can someone truly be without purpose?
I might just ask questions the rest of this entry, because the more I think about it the more it makes me wonder...
I think when people talk about their purpose in life it is usually talked about in terms of what they feel "they need to do"; what they need to get accomplished. Does this mean that we are defined simply by our drive to "do things"? If so, what happens when those things are interrupted, or cut off all together? Do we cease to have purpose simply because our drive to do things is gone, or because we feel there is just nothing for us to do?....
Or is purpose something deeper within all of us...something that is ALWAYS there regardless of whether or not it is acted upon...Something placed within us when we were created...
Purpose must be part of us...it must be within us, at the core of who we are...but I think we often miss that fact.....We define "purpose" by our "goals"...goals that WE set. But as I said...what happens when those goals change...or seem to disappear completely? Do we cease to have purpose...if so, why continue? What a hopeless thing to be defined simply by the perishable things we pursue!! Yet, this is how we often define ourselves...and granted, it works for many...at least for a time...but if your purpose is completely tied up in the perishable things of this world...what happens when those things cease, and your spirit is left?
What if your purpose is deep within, and always has been from your first breath...or even before??! What if you were created for something so much more than things that perish?! The Bible tells us that we were "created in God's image"....unfortunately, we messed that up with Sin...BUT that never changed the purpose for why you and I were created...we were created to know God, to reflect God....and he made sure that was still possible by sending Jesus...
Eternal Purpose is within you...but it is only made alive through he life of Christ...Purpose is yours today if you choose it...
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Otium Sanctum
"Otium Sanctum" is latin for "holy leisure"....church Fathers put a great emphasis on "Otium Sanctum"...on the ability to be at peace in the midst of what often is a turbulent reality.
Perhaps more so in the last few days then ever before in my life do I feel the need for "holy leisure"...for peace in the midst of a world that seems to spin faster every moment. Often I think we just want to escape from the turbulence; to stop our lives from spinning any faster; but we can't can we? Life continues to spin...there is really very little in our lives that we have control of...and even those things we control, we usually just mess up. So what do we do? We can't escape, we can't control...so we must endure.
The Bible talks about endurance a lot...We are never promised a turbulence free life (quite the opposite in fact)...BUT...we are promised peace in the midst of it. Jesus in John 14:27 says: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
This peace that Christ gives, is found ONLY in Christ himself...it's the same peace that Paul says "surpasses all understanding" (Phil 4:7) And notice Jesus didn't say you will have no troubles and no reason to be afraid....but what he is saying is that even when trouble comes, you have his peace which will be in you through the midst of it.
If you have the life of Christ in you...NOTHING can seperate you from Him, and the peace that he gives.
Holy leisure can be yours in Christ...
Perhaps more so in the last few days then ever before in my life do I feel the need for "holy leisure"...for peace in the midst of a world that seems to spin faster every moment. Often I think we just want to escape from the turbulence; to stop our lives from spinning any faster; but we can't can we? Life continues to spin...there is really very little in our lives that we have control of...and even those things we control, we usually just mess up. So what do we do? We can't escape, we can't control...so we must endure.
The Bible talks about endurance a lot...We are never promised a turbulence free life (quite the opposite in fact)...BUT...we are promised peace in the midst of it. Jesus in John 14:27 says: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
This peace that Christ gives, is found ONLY in Christ himself...it's the same peace that Paul says "surpasses all understanding" (Phil 4:7) And notice Jesus didn't say you will have no troubles and no reason to be afraid....but what he is saying is that even when trouble comes, you have his peace which will be in you through the midst of it.
If you have the life of Christ in you...NOTHING can seperate you from Him, and the peace that he gives.
Holy leisure can be yours in Christ...
Monday, November 17, 2008
Firstfruits...you are of incredible worth
Life is fragile...Sometimes it doesn't make sense... I think that all of us wonder at times, if anyone really cares at all...
I think there are a lot of people who feel hopeless at times in this life...who struggle with a sense of worth. Who search for hope, and they seek something that will give their life worth, but don't find it. It is a heartbreaking journey to look for hope, and never find it...to long for worth, and just feel unworthy...
I was reading in the book of James today...and a verse really caught my eye which speaks of our incredible worth to God. It's an interesting little verse that may be hard to understand, but it holds an incredible truth
James 1:18 says: "Of his own will he (God) brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."
James says that God made us as the "firstfruits" of his creatures....This might not seem to mean much, but if you look at how the Bible talks about "firstfruits" this little statement holds an incredible truth for all of us!
"Firstfruits" were the best of the best, which were to be set aside for God. So what James is really saying here is that you and I are made specially for God! Beyond ALL that God has created, he made us specially for himself! What greater worth could we be given, than to be the "firstfruits" for God.
However, firstfruits are meant for God...When God told his people to give him their firstfruits, it was a sign that all they had was from God, and he deserved the best of the best. When his people did not give Him the firstfruits, it was as if they were saying to God, "We don't need you..." I think this is what so many in our society are saying to God. We don't realize that God made us for himself.
You're search for worth, and for hope can only find fullfilment when you give yourself back to God through Christ...You were made for Him...You are the firstfruits of all creation!
I think there are a lot of people who feel hopeless at times in this life...who struggle with a sense of worth. Who search for hope, and they seek something that will give their life worth, but don't find it. It is a heartbreaking journey to look for hope, and never find it...to long for worth, and just feel unworthy...
I was reading in the book of James today...and a verse really caught my eye which speaks of our incredible worth to God. It's an interesting little verse that may be hard to understand, but it holds an incredible truth
James 1:18 says: "Of his own will he (God) brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures."
James says that God made us as the "firstfruits" of his creatures....This might not seem to mean much, but if you look at how the Bible talks about "firstfruits" this little statement holds an incredible truth for all of us!
"Firstfruits" were the best of the best, which were to be set aside for God. So what James is really saying here is that you and I are made specially for God! Beyond ALL that God has created, he made us specially for himself! What greater worth could we be given, than to be the "firstfruits" for God.
However, firstfruits are meant for God...When God told his people to give him their firstfruits, it was a sign that all they had was from God, and he deserved the best of the best. When his people did not give Him the firstfruits, it was as if they were saying to God, "We don't need you..." I think this is what so many in our society are saying to God. We don't realize that God made us for himself.
You're search for worth, and for hope can only find fullfilment when you give yourself back to God through Christ...You were made for Him...You are the firstfruits of all creation!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Like wine?...watch this video!
Gary Vaynerchuk (Vay-ner-chuk) is someone I have been watching a lot of the last month...As some of you may know I enjoy learning about wine--Gary is the main source for most of that knowledge. He is the Operater of "Wine Library" in New Jersey, and releases a "wine tasting/education program" 5 times a week online. Want to learn more about wine, and really enjoy wine...without becoming a "wine snob"....watch some of Gary.
Best quote from this video--"It's like you ripped the heart out of a Panda Bear...no no, that's bad, out of a Grizzly Bear that was trying to hurt your family!"
Best quote from this video--"It's like you ripped the heart out of a Panda Bear...no no, that's bad, out of a Grizzly Bear that was trying to hurt your family!"
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