I have recently been blessed to make contact with an online magazine called Amosmag.com and have agreed to become a writer for the site. I am so excited! The Editor-in-chief, Michelle Railey seems to have a clear vision and provides excellent feedback on my work. For me, this has been an answer to prayer.
As I'm just getting my feet wet, I haven't had any in-depth conversations about the origin of the name of the site, or the original reason for its existence, right now I'm just happy for the space to put original content, but I'm sure that conversation will happen as time permits. In the mean time, I have done what I always do and that's to turn to my Bible. So, I've started reading (drum roll please), the book of Amos. I know, for those of you who have been following for awhile, this probably comes as a great surprise. Let me say though, that the name Amos really jumped out at me as being important.Maybe I'm crazy, but, to the book of Amos I went.
Full transparency, Amos is not a biblical text that I've spent a great deal of time in. I hate admitting that, but its true. The first chapter is really hard to consume because of the negative tone and the repetitive nature and putting all of the places in context for their wrongs against God. For me, it felt like eating a big bowl of green peas. Of course peas are good for me, of course I should include them in my diet, but, I just don't love them the way I do say pasta or pizza or ice cream. But, like a good boy, I kept on, and I'm glad I did.
In chapter two and beyond, Amos gets to the part that speaks to me. Starting in verse 6 which he titles, Judgment on Israel, Amos begins listing the crimes of the Israelite's against God and God's unfavorable response to these crimes. He begins speaking about their treatment of the poor saying, "because they sell righteousness for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals--those who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth and turn aside the way of the afflicted;" Throughout the next 4 chapters, Amos reiterates how angry God is at the Israelite's because of their treatment of the poor.
Here's some context for Amos' writing. There isn't an exact time frame for Amos' life, but it came before the fall of Israel into Assyrian capture, sometime between 800 and 700 BC. Israel was in the midst of financial prosperity and were preparing themselves for the Lord to come and to make Israel the leading nation of the world. God's plans were opposite. He sent Amos to warn his people that he would not keep them from harm should it come. He was dissatisfied with how Israel had acquired its prosperity by its horrible treatment of the poor and the needy.
Worldbank.org estimates that as of 2013, 10.7 percent of the world lives on less than $1.90 per day. While that's down drastically from the 35 percent it showed in 1990, that percentage still includes approximately 767 million people worldwide, or for context, more than double the entire population of the United States. By comparison, Huffington Post cited figures from the 2013 census bureau that 14.5 percent of Americans live below the poverty line. That means that poverty is greater by percentage in the United States than the rest of the world.
In Matthew Chapter 5, Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." In Luke chapter 6, it says that, "Jesus looked at his disciples and said, 'Blessed are you who are poor for yours is the kingdom of God.'"
In Mark chapter 10 verse 17 a wealthy man came to Jesus calling him teacher and asked how he could inherit eternal life. The man then told Jesus that he had kept the ten commandments since he was a boy. It says that Jesus loved him. (Of course he did, he's Jesus. You don't have to read long to see that his very existence is love). Then, Jesus commanded him to sell everything he had to give to the poor and he would have treasure in heaven. Then he told him to come and follow him. The man was sad because he had no intention of doing what Jesus had commanded him.
Jesus goes on to boldly condemn the wealthy and explain how difficult it would be for the wealthy to enter heaven, but how greatly rewarded those would be who would give up everything to follow him.
In fact, the Bible mentions the responsibility of caring for the poor on over 300 occasions. By contrast, the mention of homosexuality is seven...And never by Jesus. (Think of this in the context of American politics as it pertains to the Church).
Let's take a breath because there is a lot of information to get to, and a lot to clear up.
What is the point that Jesus is making in telling the man to sell all of his possessions, give everything to the poor, and follow him?
Let me be clear, it is not sinful to have money. It is no sin to have a lot of money. It is no sin to live comfortably. But Jesus wants our entire being. He wants every part of us. He wants to be the Lord of our entire life. He wanted this man to give his entire self over to Jesus, but the man was unwilling to give his wealth. He is also making the point that we did not create ourselves and cannot save ourselves. And lastly, that earthly wealth has no bearing on eternal life. God created us and through Jesus we are saved.
The man was sad because he was unwilling to give his all to Jesus. Had he continued listening he would have heard the payoff, that Jesus would prepare a place for him 100 times greater than what he had sacrificed to follow Jesus. For those with a financial background, a 100 fold return on any investment is a pretty good deal!
In our Declaration of Independence, when we announced to the world, and specifically to the King of England, that the United States was to be a free nation, we included the phrase, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that ALL men are created equal." (Men being used to describe humanity). Jesus wants to make the same point. Humanity is God's greatest creation and God has created all man, equally. Unfortunately, the Bible also states that the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. Another way to say that would be that greed is at the root of all evil.
God values each of us the same. That's despite our IQ, our last name, our nationality, our gender, our height, and the amount of money in our bank account. And it is wrong for us to use and mistreat our fellow man in our attempt to achieve. God told the Israelite's through Amos that he would not bless their prosperity because of how poorly they had treated the poor and needy in acquiring that wealth. He is telling us the same thing today.
As Christians, we aren't called to be Republicans or Democrats. We aren't called to be conservative or liberal. Our Christianity isn't determined by the state we live in, the politician we support, or the job we do. We should never curse the state for providing the welfare that should be provided by the church. We should never celebrate when those less fortunate than us are stripped of their ability to receive healthcare. Jesus tells us in Matthew chapter 26 that the poor will be among us always, but that shouldn't cause us to relax, it should ignite us with compassion as we develop better systems to assist. We should never turn a blind eye when we see a person in need. We should only rejoice that we have to means to help.
Why should we do this?
Mother Thersea was famously quoted as saying, "Everyone that we meet is Jesus in disguise." Where did she get that quote? In Matthew chapter 25 starting in verse 35 it says, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." The response comes from the righteous, when did we do these things? The King replies, "Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me."
We are called to give ourselves over completely to follow Jesus. And what does Jesus say? Blessed are the poor. In this country, I fear that the Church has failed to honor those words.
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
A Small Spark...
For those of you have been reading for a while, let me start by saying THANK YOU! If this is your first time, welcome! I encourage you to check out some of my other posts to get a feel for the blog.
I am aware that I have made bold claims, challenged ideals, been vocal about sensitive subjects, and taken a somewhat harsh stance toward what I believe to be a dated, failing church. I'm sure many of you have wondered what exactly my end game is, and I assure you, there is one.
Is it to destroy the church? Or to destroy the perception of the church? Or to discourage church attendance? Or to ruffle feathers for chaos sake?
The answer to all of those questions is an emphatic NO!
Actually, quite the contrary. I look at a world filled with people that are crying out for help, and then I look out at a church that has become largely apathetic to those cries. I see leaders who are more concerned with politics than with their mission. I see baseless nostalgia, a longing for a world gone by rather than a forward thinking, lighthouse. Unfortunately, many leaders are pointing to answers from dead religion instead of pointing to the Living God. I see a body consumed with condemning the world rather than helping it...scolding rather than saving.
And so, I use my small platform to point out the things that I see.
But why? (Great question!)
The Bible says (yes, roll your eyes, I'm citing the Bible, again) in Matthew Chapter 8 (Ugh, one of the gospels...meaning I'm about to talk about Jesus, again. Yep!) that "a man with leprosy came and knelt before him (Jesus) and said, 'Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.'"
BTW, That's a cry for help if I've ever heard one.
So, what is leprosy? It is an infection that may result in the lack of ability to feel pain, thus loss of body parts and extremities due to repeated injuries or infection caused by unnoticed wounds. Its as bad as it sounds. And 2000 years ago, this was worse than you can imagine. Probably the inspiration for The Walking Dead.
Victims of this disease were quarantined from their homes and outcast from society. They were forced to live completely alone. Shunned into total isolation. They were never, ever to be touched again for fear of spreading this awful disease. If a leper came upon other people, they were forced to the other side of the road and had to announce themselves as unclean. Lepers lived in this disgusting, deteriorating Hell until they finally, mercifully died. Alone.
That is the context for the leper approaching Jesus.
If you are reading and feel skeptical about the historical figure, Jesus of Nazareth, put yourself in his shoes in this situation. While your heart would ache for the plight of this dirty, diseased person, can you imagine the level of fear you would feel knowing that one touch from this person could result in your becoming a leper? Then other emotions would come to you: disgust, judgement, shame, superiority, joy for not having this disease. Those are the natural feelings that would go through me whether I wanted them to or not. I'm only human.
If you want a real life portrayal of a man face to face with this situation modern day, I recommend "Dirty God" by Johnnie Moore.
So it likely sent shock waves through the crowd of onlookers when in John chapter 8 verse 3 it tells us that Jesus reached out his hand and touched the leper. "I am willing," he said. He followed that up by saying, "Be clean." And it says that the man was cleansed of leprosy.
Wow!
Jesus wasn't afraid. He wasn't repulsed. He wasn't superior. He never condemned the leper for being unclean. He didn't back away from the man. He didn't feel the need to point out to the man just how sick he really was. What Jesus did was nothing short of incredible. He reached out his hand and touched ☝ the man. And then, he healed him.
So you ask, did Jesus then get leprosy? Or did he immediately run for a bottle of germ-x? Did he regret giving this man the first human contact he had likely felt in years? NO HE DIDN'T DO ANY OF THOSE THINGS! Jesus didn't get leprosy, the leper got Jesus. or to say it another way, because of his contact with Jesus, he was HEALED!
Touching the man was a very small act. In fact, we read many accounts of Jesus miracles where he didn't have to touch anything, the power came from his words. And here again, it was his words that healed the man. So why touch him? He touched this untouchable man, because he cared. He touched him to make the man feel human. Jesus loved this man, like he loves you and I, and he felt compassion for him. It was a small act, but a huge message in the grand scheme. Its an opportunity for us to peak at Jesus nature. What we find is that he was willing to heal the leper and he's willing to heal you and me too. Not because of our merit, or our good deeds. This man had no merit. He was an outcast, a misfit, a sub-human. He did it because he cares. He really is that good!
There are phrases common in our vernacular that I'd like to bring to light. Big things come in small packages. Little things mean a lot. A little bit goes a long way. I like these because they quickly sum up complex truths. And I have a favorite that I'd like to add. A small spark can start a big fire🔥!
That's what this blog is about. I want to ignite the church, and Christians, and all of my readers. I want to be a spark that starts a fire so hot that it cannot be put out. A fire like the one that God ignites on Elijah's water soaked sacrifice in response to the challenge of Baal (1 Kings chapter 18). A fire that defies logic. I want the entire world to grasp who Jesus was and is, what he's really like, and why he came. I believe that having that understanding would ignite a revolution of love! A small spark followed by an unprecedented fire🔥!
That may sound crazy. I've been accused of worse. My platform is small for sure, but I know that in Jesus name, a group of like-minded students went out and changed the world. They were Jesus disciples and they are responsible for establishing the church as we know it, now more than 2 billion in number worldwide. They believed in the man they knew, and I believe in him too.
So this is me begging you, and pleading with you, and asking as nicely as I can, if you're a Christian, stop complaining about the world we live in (Jesus told us we were strangers in a foreign land). Don't be afraid to reach out and compassionately touch it☝. You'll be shocked to find that you won't become infected with godlessness, but hurting people just might, through you, get infected with the love bug courtesy of Jesus Christ.
And for you reading that don't know this man, I beg you to find him. He's a friend to the friendless, a hope to the hopeless, a calm in the middle of life's storm. He's a healing hand to the sick, a present help in time of need, a warm embrace to the broken-hearted, and his is the greatest love you'll ever find.
And if you're worried that you're not good enough to approach him, I contest that we are all lepers asking him if he's willing to make us clean. He answers that question in John chapter 8 definitively by saying, "I am willing."
I am aware that I have made bold claims, challenged ideals, been vocal about sensitive subjects, and taken a somewhat harsh stance toward what I believe to be a dated, failing church. I'm sure many of you have wondered what exactly my end game is, and I assure you, there is one.
Is it to destroy the church? Or to destroy the perception of the church? Or to discourage church attendance? Or to ruffle feathers for chaos sake?
The answer to all of those questions is an emphatic NO!
Actually, quite the contrary. I look at a world filled with people that are crying out for help, and then I look out at a church that has become largely apathetic to those cries. I see leaders who are more concerned with politics than with their mission. I see baseless nostalgia, a longing for a world gone by rather than a forward thinking, lighthouse. Unfortunately, many leaders are pointing to answers from dead religion instead of pointing to the Living God. I see a body consumed with condemning the world rather than helping it...scolding rather than saving.
And so, I use my small platform to point out the things that I see.
But why? (Great question!)
The Bible says (yes, roll your eyes, I'm citing the Bible, again) in Matthew Chapter 8 (Ugh, one of the gospels...meaning I'm about to talk about Jesus, again. Yep!) that "a man with leprosy came and knelt before him (Jesus) and said, 'Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.'"
BTW, That's a cry for help if I've ever heard one.
So, what is leprosy? It is an infection that may result in the lack of ability to feel pain, thus loss of body parts and extremities due to repeated injuries or infection caused by unnoticed wounds. Its as bad as it sounds. And 2000 years ago, this was worse than you can imagine. Probably the inspiration for The Walking Dead.
Victims of this disease were quarantined from their homes and outcast from society. They were forced to live completely alone. Shunned into total isolation. They were never, ever to be touched again for fear of spreading this awful disease. If a leper came upon other people, they were forced to the other side of the road and had to announce themselves as unclean. Lepers lived in this disgusting, deteriorating Hell until they finally, mercifully died. Alone.
That is the context for the leper approaching Jesus.
If you are reading and feel skeptical about the historical figure, Jesus of Nazareth, put yourself in his shoes in this situation. While your heart would ache for the plight of this dirty, diseased person, can you imagine the level of fear you would feel knowing that one touch from this person could result in your becoming a leper? Then other emotions would come to you: disgust, judgement, shame, superiority, joy for not having this disease. Those are the natural feelings that would go through me whether I wanted them to or not. I'm only human.
If you want a real life portrayal of a man face to face with this situation modern day, I recommend "Dirty God" by Johnnie Moore.
So it likely sent shock waves through the crowd of onlookers when in John chapter 8 verse 3 it tells us that Jesus reached out his hand and touched the leper. "I am willing," he said. He followed that up by saying, "Be clean." And it says that the man was cleansed of leprosy.
Wow!
Jesus wasn't afraid. He wasn't repulsed. He wasn't superior. He never condemned the leper for being unclean. He didn't back away from the man. He didn't feel the need to point out to the man just how sick he really was. What Jesus did was nothing short of incredible. He reached out his hand and touched ☝ the man. And then, he healed him.
So you ask, did Jesus then get leprosy? Or did he immediately run for a bottle of germ-x? Did he regret giving this man the first human contact he had likely felt in years? NO HE DIDN'T DO ANY OF THOSE THINGS! Jesus didn't get leprosy, the leper got Jesus. or to say it another way, because of his contact with Jesus, he was HEALED!
Touching the man was a very small act. In fact, we read many accounts of Jesus miracles where he didn't have to touch anything, the power came from his words. And here again, it was his words that healed the man. So why touch him? He touched this untouchable man, because he cared. He touched him to make the man feel human. Jesus loved this man, like he loves you and I, and he felt compassion for him. It was a small act, but a huge message in the grand scheme. Its an opportunity for us to peak at Jesus nature. What we find is that he was willing to heal the leper and he's willing to heal you and me too. Not because of our merit, or our good deeds. This man had no merit. He was an outcast, a misfit, a sub-human. He did it because he cares. He really is that good!
There are phrases common in our vernacular that I'd like to bring to light. Big things come in small packages. Little things mean a lot. A little bit goes a long way. I like these because they quickly sum up complex truths. And I have a favorite that I'd like to add. A small spark can start a big fire🔥!
That's what this blog is about. I want to ignite the church, and Christians, and all of my readers. I want to be a spark that starts a fire so hot that it cannot be put out. A fire like the one that God ignites on Elijah's water soaked sacrifice in response to the challenge of Baal (1 Kings chapter 18). A fire that defies logic. I want the entire world to grasp who Jesus was and is, what he's really like, and why he came. I believe that having that understanding would ignite a revolution of love! A small spark followed by an unprecedented fire🔥!
That may sound crazy. I've been accused of worse. My platform is small for sure, but I know that in Jesus name, a group of like-minded students went out and changed the world. They were Jesus disciples and they are responsible for establishing the church as we know it, now more than 2 billion in number worldwide. They believed in the man they knew, and I believe in him too.
So this is me begging you, and pleading with you, and asking as nicely as I can, if you're a Christian, stop complaining about the world we live in (Jesus told us we were strangers in a foreign land). Don't be afraid to reach out and compassionately touch it☝. You'll be shocked to find that you won't become infected with godlessness, but hurting people just might, through you, get infected with the love bug courtesy of Jesus Christ.
And for you reading that don't know this man, I beg you to find him. He's a friend to the friendless, a hope to the hopeless, a calm in the middle of life's storm. He's a healing hand to the sick, a present help in time of need, a warm embrace to the broken-hearted, and his is the greatest love you'll ever find.
And if you're worried that you're not good enough to approach him, I contest that we are all lepers asking him if he's willing to make us clean. He answers that question in John chapter 8 definitively by saying, "I am willing."
Monday, May 1, 2017
Having Fun is Okay...Seriously!
So this probably doesn’t mean much to most of you, but this past week was NFL Draft week! I look forward to this event almost as much as I do the holidays.
Why, you ask? Well for one, I’m a football fanatic. College, I love The Ohio State Buckeyes, and
pro I love The Cleveland Browns.Oh,
you couldn’t read that second one, well that’s because I said that I love the Cleveland
Browns. And you don’t have to be a sports fan to know that the Browns have
given new meaning to the word bad. So bad in fact that they are routinely the
butt of many media and pop culture jokes. Like really bad. (A real fan sticks
with his team through thick and thin... and thinner... and thinner). But, in being
bad, the NFL Draft gives me hope because it is the place where smart teams pick
young, talented players to improve their team. Every year I’m hopeful the Browns will do
the same, but every year, I am wrong. Maybe this year will be better. A guy can
hope, right?
So, what did I do this past week/weekend? To quote my dad,
“Something very spiritual.” I was sitting on my father’s couch (and my own) with my
personal list of 300 college football players, enjoying pizza, root beer, and
conversation with my dad. I was also texting my friends and my brother to get their
thoughts on the subject. I was also trying to explain what was happening to my
young son. And now that it's over, I’ll be waiting anxiously to see if my team, The Browns, knew
what they were doing. I'll read every article. I'll check Twitter everyday until the season starts. I’ll probably be excited at times, and at other times,
frustrated and disappointed. But it will be awesome!
My love of the draft can be traced back to my time as a
youth in Michigan when a friend, who I consider a brother, and I would get
together and chug root beer and eat bratwurst and enjoy the NFL Draft. Very few
people get it. Over the years my friend, who still lives in Michigan, has flown
to Kentucky many times so that we could enjoy this event together. And no
matter what our favorite teams did (he's a Detroit Lions fan), we always had a blast! We compared notes.
We laughed. We talked a little smack to each other. We spent time together. We
grew closer. All over a silly hobby, and yet, it has brought some of my fondest
memories…So I ask, is it really that silly?
Many of you are now wondering why you should care enough to keep reading 2000 words about an event you probably have little to no interest in. Please keep reading, as always, I promise there is a point coming.
While you may not enjoy football, or watching three
consecutive days of teams announcing players that they are basically hiring, I’m
sure there is something that you do enjoy. My younger brother-in-law loves all
things outdoors. He loves fishing, bow fishing, duck hunting, dove hunting,
etc. Those aren’t my interests or hobbies, but they are his, and I can always
tell how much joy they bring him. His entire social circle is comprised of
friends who enjoy doing all of the things he enjoys. And their friendship
somehow grows stronger by spending time together on those common interests. I
always smile when I see his parents suited up in their hunting gear to go with
him too. They don’t necessarily love his hobbies as much as he does, but they
love to do them together. And because of that, they all have fun, and their
relationships grow. (My in-laws are the absolute best! I feel so sorry for people who don't get along with their in-laws because I feel like I hit the jackpot. Seriously!)
There are literally hundreds of examples just like this that
I could provide, but I’ve decided to spare you. What I do want to emphasize is the
aspect of fun and relationships. At the end of the day, when we die, the only
real legacy we leave behind is in the people we love.
Cliché alert: None of our
possessions go to an afterlife with us. We don’t get to be buried in a sports
car. No one will mourn for our Apple watch. No one will be discussing how
great it was that we were a status member at various establishments. They will
only mourn the memory of us, and the relationship they had with us, and the fun times
we shared. Relationship is so important that God, the creator of Heaven and
Earth, designed us in his image simply to have relationship with us. He sent
Jesus to take on our sin and die for it so that we might renew our relationship
with him. He was telling us that the tasks we accomplish are important, but
relationships we have are far more important!
Now, we take a turn. I’m sorry, I can’t help it. My mind isn’t
linear, it jumps all around and I have to follow that stream of consciousness.
Thank you in advance for your patience.
I was raised in church. My first church was in upstate New
York. I attended there until I was nine years old. In my lifetime, that small
town church congregation had grown so large that we had to set up chairs in the
aisles for Sunday services. I remember thinking that was strange then, but I
was a kid. Today, that would be so thrilling to see (seriously, imagine if every church in the U.S. outgrew their capacity!). What I remember most about
that church will surprise you. I remember all sorts of social events. My dad,
the pastor, was the captain of the church softball team. There was a fun
celebration themed for every holiday. We had Baptism services in the summer
at a family in the churches' house, and the event was supplemented with a bar-b-que. I
remember that the congregation of that church would get together to enjoy
fireworks on the Fourth of July. There were all-night charity events, annual trips
to amusement parks, dinners sponsored specifically for the community, and on
and on and on. What I remember about that church was that the members were very
welcoming to newcomers, and that they genuinely had fun together. Coincidentally,
that church grew like crazy both in attendance and in their faith. I’ll never forget that.
And now to the point...
In John chapter 2, verses 1-12 we find Jesus' first recorded miracle at the wedding at Cana.
Warning! Warning! I'm about to say things that may rub you the wrong way. I'm sorry in advance, but I encourage you to keep reading, and to please check my research. Anyway, there is a point coming.
In John chapter 2, verses 1-12 we find Jesus' first recorded miracle at the wedding at Cana.
Warning! Warning! I'm about to say things that may rub you the wrong way. I'm sorry in advance, but I encourage you to keep reading, and to please check my research. Anyway, there is a point coming.
My wife teaches her 8th grade language arts students to use context clues to find meaning in texts. So, using our context clues, we understand that the reason the cheap wine was usually saved for the end was because, after drinking freely, the guests senses were lowered and they didn't know the difference. You might say they were inebriated.
And this is the time when you respond by telling me that wine here does not mean wine as we know it today, more like grape juice, which we coincidentally have words for that this could have been translated to. I've heard that many times in my life from many people. Remember our previous post and how many times uncomfortable Biblical truths are misinterpreted or glossed over because they don't fit our personal narrative? This is another example. And it is important, so please keep reading. Even if I've offended you and made you angry.
The Greek word used for wine in this text is oinos. This is the same word used for wine in Ephesians 5:18 when Paul tells us "Do not get drunk with wine." Meaning, the content of the wine that Jesus turned from water was an alcoholic beverage, and in context, apparently a very good one.
Let me insert some information for those who have been offended. I do not condone underage drinking. Why? Because the Bible says "Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's and give unto God what is God's." Meaning we should obey the laws of the land, which state that you are not eligible for alcoholic consumption until the age 21. Also, in Proverbs, Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, tells us on more than one occasion that it is not right to live as a drunkard. Why? Because drunkenness alters our mind, inhibits our judgment, causes irrational decisions, is highly addictive, effects people in unpredictable ways, can poison the blood stream and lead to death, and has been a root cause for destroying lives and families in this country for generations.
I know this because it has happened in my family. My grandfather has been deceased since the late 1990s. He thankfully received salvation through Jesus Christ two years before he passed. As a younger man, he was a terrible alcoholic. So terrible that he shot a gun at my then 2-year-old father while in a drunken stupor. He kept his family in poverty for years because of his addiction. He had a family on the side that he supported because of decisions made related to alcohol. He abandoned my father at a young age because of the shame of drinking. And his drinking led to the physical and verbal abuse of his family. The fingerprint of his life still looms large over my entire family. His life, in many ways, was a waste, because of his ADDICTION to alcohol. I know many stories like that, but that is the only one I feel comfortable sharing, because in my grandfather's salvation, his life changed. He finally became the man God intended him to be late in his life. And his story assures me that if God loved him and forgave him, there is no one beyond God's love and grace and mercy. I repeat, no one!
So why make such a bold statement about Jesus turning water into alcoholic wine only to tell you how bad alcohol can be for your body, your family, and your life if used unwisely? (By the way, too much sugar causes diabetes, too many calories cause obesity, too much caffeine can cause insomnia, etc. Do EVERYTHING in moderation.) Because I think it's important to show the true nature of Jesus. For so long, he has been portrayed as a wet blanket, task-master waiting for you to make a mistake so that he can pounce and punish. I have news for you...If God was mad at you, you would already be dead. He created heaven and earth and all that is in it. Getting rid of you or me wouldn't take much work. He's not mad. He's the father in the story of the Prodigal Son hoping to run and meet you when you decide to come home. He wants to give you the finest clothes, the best food, and the keys to the entire kingdom! Many Christians forget to tell you what a wonderful, loving God we serve!
And so, Jesus turned water into wine. Really he did. It wasn't written by accident. Why is that important? It is important because it shows that Jesus wasn't at the wedding to ruin their good time. He was there to enhance it. Being around Jesus should be the most fun you could ever have. He doesn't want you to be miserable; he wants you to be filled with joy and peace and love! And so, I beg you, if you've ever been told that God is angry with you, reread the good news of the gospel. Jesus loves you! He forgave the very people who tortured and killed him. Seek him out and find that he really is the best!
And do not mistake what I am saying. I'm not telling you to go chug a beer or that drinking equals fun. I'm saying, "Judge not, less you be judged." It's ok for you to have fun and enjoy life. It was ok for me to spend the weekend watching a football draft and relating it to friends and family. It's ok to go to an amusement park, go shopping, go wine tasting, go hunting or fishing, or just go Sunday driving. Fun is really ok! It's not ok to pass judgement on someone else's good time. That's not our job.
And if you don't get anything else out of this post, just know, you won't be punished for having fun. It really is okay. I promise!
Monday, April 24, 2017
It Would Make the Greatest Graphic Novel
Movies based on comic books and graphic novels have become all the rage in the world of 2017. The Avengers series practically prints its own currency, but it's not the only comic series taking over main stream media. Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy was enormous for DC Comics, and they're hoping the Justice League series can have the same effect. Marvel Comics X Men Series has made massive money. Other big time comic and graphic novel movies include titles like: Sin City (phenomenal), Watchmen (wonderful), Constantine (so good), etc. and TV shows like: Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, The Walking Dead, Preacher, Daredevil, etc. And this is a modest list of comic inspired content. Spoiler alert: I really enjoy movies and TV shows and I think that comic books are an essential part of the modern viewing experience.
P.S. If anyone has ideas and would like to illustrate this message...I think that would be amazing and I would happily post those images (giving credit to their creator, of course). 😂
I'm sure that, unless you've been living in an alternate universe, very little of the information listed above is new to you. Whether you like these movies and shows or not is irrelevant to the point that you have probably heard of at least one of these. So why am I wasting your time talking about the impact of modern comics when many of you know that Batman has been around for over 100 years? That Superman had a TV show in the 1970s? And that the X-Men cartoon was a staple of a good 90s childhood? Well, when trends grow so rapidly, there is actually a lot to glean.
For example, my wife is an 8th grade Language Arts teacher. She loves teaching. I know this because I watch her spend hours searching for new material most nights as she tries her absolute best to find new ways to engage her students. She's always asking me what I think kids would like and if I think alternative methods could help them learn. One of the resources she has applied with some success to her classroom is... you guessed it: graphic novels and comic books. Why? Because young people like them. And, I don't need to do a Doctorate level research paper to know that people read more when they are interested in the material assigned. And I don't need to tell you that reading more, especially in the 8th grade, is a good way to improve reading skills. If it isn't clear, I think my wife is a pretty darn good teacher!
Side note: I know it became very popular in the mid 2000s to chastise people for reading Biblical translations other than the New King James version. Some thoughts on that...King James was British from the time around William Shakespeare, meaning 1500 years after the life and death of Jesus. The King James text is not the original text. Many people struggle reading Shakespearean English because it is complex, and it causes them to feel frustrated and/or confused when reading their Bible. This causes them to stop enjoying it. This causes them to stop reading it. This is a problem. The solution? Stop being mean to people who are trying to do a good thing. Stop putting rules and regulations on things you aren't in charge of. Have a little faith that the Holy Spirit will guide the reader regardless of the translation. After all, God is, by my thinking, powerful. If you prefer the poetry of the King James version, good for you. Others may not and, wait for it... wait for it... that's okay!
Now that we've cleared that up, let me get back on track. I used the Holy Spirit portion of the Holy Trinity when referring to God's guidance in the previous paragraph on purpose and for good reason. I find that the spiritual aspect of the world, the Bible, and Christianity in general, really makes people uncomfortable. I don't understand that because the gospels are very clear. Jesus was in the desert for forty days and was literally tempted by Satan (Matt. 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13). Jesus literally came across demonic spirits who trembled at the sight of him and he literally cast them into swine (Matthew 8:31-32). Jesus was literally healing the sick and casting out demons (Mark 1;34). Beyond all of that, at the very core of Christianity, is that we believe in Jesus, the living God, though we cannot physically see him. So where do we think he exists if not in spiritual places?
Side note #2: My wife and I were watching the movie "Heaven is for Real" on Easter and a line of dialogue burned me to my very core. Not a good burn, the kind of burn that raises your blood pressure and causes you to shake. I was mad! The line was, (I'm paraphrasing) Heaven and Hell have always been concepts that we use to scare, manipulate, and control people... Basically, the point being made was that people don't really believe in a literal heaven and a literal hell. The movie goes on to do a good job of changing the mind of the woman who made the statement, but it confirmed a belief that I have. There are people in this world who have attended church their entire lives that don't believe a large portion of what the Bible has to say. (Or, perhaps, even scarier than that, that don't know what a large portion of what the Bible says.) They don't have faith in the power of God, they don't believe in the afterlife, and I wonder if they actually believe in Jesus at all. That absolutely terrifies me!
I want to pause again and apologize for how I circle from topic to topic. I know it can be hard to follow...But, of course, I appreciate your long-suffering.
Back on track...I heard the most amazing message on Sunday by Pastor Joseph Prince, who I absolutely love. If you have not ever seen his ministry, I highly recommend it. He understands God's grace on a level that very few people on Earth do. It was sermon # 286 if you want to find it on his website, and it was called "His Resurrection, My Justification." In the message, he went to a topic that is likely avoided in most ministries, because it is hard to fathom, and very hard to explain. He explained the entire conflict between God and the Devil very clearly. It was so good, and I think the sermon itself would have made a tremendous graphic novel, because of the imagery and because of the systematic way that it was presented. (I am aware that the entire Bible has been presented in illustrated and graphic novel forms, but I'm talking about graphic novels that follow specific teachings. Smaller, less cumbersome, easier to comprehend).
Here is my best attempt at a summary:
Pastor Prince opened from Matthew 27:50-53, when the saints of old rose from their graves and walked the streets of Jerusalem for 40 days AFTER the Resurrection. He explained that all of the blood sacrifices of the old testament were merely promissory notes that couldn't be cashed in until Jesus' blood was shed and he was raised from the dead.
Next, he explained that the Bible states that God made man (mankind) in his own image, but it never states that angels were made in God's image. Because of this, Satan, or Lucifer as he was known in heaven, is extremely jealous of mankind and makes it his goal to destroy humanity.
He goes back to the beginning, Genesis, where the serpent convinces Adam and Eve to eat the apple from the tree of good and evil, and their high treason causes their fall from God's grace. Then he explains the prophecy to Satan, that the seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent and that, at the cross, the serpent will bruise the heel of the seed. From this point forward, Satan knows that man will destroy him if he does not destroy man first.
Adam and Eve originally have two children, Cain and Abel. Satan turned Cain against Abel, convinced that Abel might be the one that God spoke of in the prophecy. Later, when Satan believed that Moses would be the one to destroy him, he convinced Pharaoh to throw all Hebrew(Jewish) first born children into the river to die. Later, when Satan knew that Jesus was coming, he convinced Herod(Jewish leader) to kill all first born Jewish first born sons. Jesus is the ONE, and at the cross, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy. This LITERALLY happened. This isn't a fairy tale!
Then, he read from 1 Peter chapter 3...Jesus LITERALLY went into Hell and proclaimed victory to the SPIRITS in prison. Those spirits, who God was long-suffering with in their disobedience in the time of Noah, made it to where God was only able to save 8 souls from the flood! Only 8!
And finally, he crossed back to Genesis chapter 6, where the sons of God mated with the daughters of men and their descendants were referred to as the mighty men of old. Meaning, Satan's legion of fallen angels tried to destroy God's greatest creation--humanity--by corrupting the bloodline. They created a super species known as the Nephilim. (In the King James, they are called giants). This was Satan's attempt to destroy humanity in its entirety. God wasn't pouring out wrath by flooding the earth; he was showing mercy on humankind by preserving it. He saved humanity through Noah and his family in the Ark.
My final side note (I swear): I was in college around 2006. I remember a good friend of mine and I were studying this chapter because God's destruction of the Earth through the flood seemed A.) out of character B.) drastic, C.) hard to wrap my mind around... And the passage about the Nephilim seemed random. (It's never a bad thing to question your faith. That's what makes it strong.) My friend consulted his minister at the time who told us that there was no special meaning to the Nephilim (meaning sons of God merely referred to followers of God and daughters of men referred to non-followers of God), that they had no bearing on the story of Noah (despite being the setup to the entire story), and that we didn't need to waste time focusing on it. Apparently, he wasn't aware that God thought so much of that species (Nephilim) that he (Jesus Christ) felt it necessary to seek them out in Hell to proclaim victory over them. But yeah, no big deal really. I wouldn't waste much thought on it...
Anyway, I guess as I heard this powerful message on Easter Sunday, I thought of all of the incorrect teaching, and all of the delicate subject matter of the Bible that many are afraid to study and address. And then I thought about the spiritual nature of the message, and I thought of my wife and her 8th graders. Many of them would not only be fascinated by a graphic novel or a comic that followed the train of thought in this sermon, they would understand it completely, because it would be told in a way that would engage and entertain them. How much easier teaching would be if we would just try. Education shouldn't be reserved for certain people, or learning styles, but is a right of all humanity. Maybe it's time that we use new types of materials (and by "new," I don't mean things from the 1990s) that appeal to more types of people. And maybe, we (the Church) might start to really make an impact on a broken world. Not to entertain, but to better inform. Just a thought.
Side note #2: My wife and I were watching the movie "Heaven is for Real" on Easter and a line of dialogue burned me to my very core. Not a good burn, the kind of burn that raises your blood pressure and causes you to shake. I was mad! The line was, (I'm paraphrasing) Heaven and Hell have always been concepts that we use to scare, manipulate, and control people... Basically, the point being made was that people don't really believe in a literal heaven and a literal hell. The movie goes on to do a good job of changing the mind of the woman who made the statement, but it confirmed a belief that I have. There are people in this world who have attended church their entire lives that don't believe a large portion of what the Bible has to say. (Or, perhaps, even scarier than that, that don't know what a large portion of what the Bible says.) They don't have faith in the power of God, they don't believe in the afterlife, and I wonder if they actually believe in Jesus at all. That absolutely terrifies me!
I want to pause again and apologize for how I circle from topic to topic. I know it can be hard to follow...But, of course, I appreciate your long-suffering.
Back on track...I heard the most amazing message on Sunday by Pastor Joseph Prince, who I absolutely love. If you have not ever seen his ministry, I highly recommend it. He understands God's grace on a level that very few people on Earth do. It was sermon # 286 if you want to find it on his website, and it was called "His Resurrection, My Justification." In the message, he went to a topic that is likely avoided in most ministries, because it is hard to fathom, and very hard to explain. He explained the entire conflict between God and the Devil very clearly. It was so good, and I think the sermon itself would have made a tremendous graphic novel, because of the imagery and because of the systematic way that it was presented. (I am aware that the entire Bible has been presented in illustrated and graphic novel forms, but I'm talking about graphic novels that follow specific teachings. Smaller, less cumbersome, easier to comprehend).
Here is my best attempt at a summary:
Pastor Prince opened from Matthew 27:50-53, when the saints of old rose from their graves and walked the streets of Jerusalem for 40 days AFTER the Resurrection. He explained that all of the blood sacrifices of the old testament were merely promissory notes that couldn't be cashed in until Jesus' blood was shed and he was raised from the dead.
Next, he explained that the Bible states that God made man (mankind) in his own image, but it never states that angels were made in God's image. Because of this, Satan, or Lucifer as he was known in heaven, is extremely jealous of mankind and makes it his goal to destroy humanity.
He goes back to the beginning, Genesis, where the serpent convinces Adam and Eve to eat the apple from the tree of good and evil, and their high treason causes their fall from God's grace. Then he explains the prophecy to Satan, that the seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent and that, at the cross, the serpent will bruise the heel of the seed. From this point forward, Satan knows that man will destroy him if he does not destroy man first.
Adam and Eve originally have two children, Cain and Abel. Satan turned Cain against Abel, convinced that Abel might be the one that God spoke of in the prophecy. Later, when Satan believed that Moses would be the one to destroy him, he convinced Pharaoh to throw all Hebrew(Jewish) first born children into the river to die. Later, when Satan knew that Jesus was coming, he convinced Herod(Jewish leader) to kill all first born Jewish first born sons. Jesus is the ONE, and at the cross, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy. This LITERALLY happened. This isn't a fairy tale!
Then, he read from 1 Peter chapter 3...Jesus LITERALLY went into Hell and proclaimed victory to the SPIRITS in prison. Those spirits, who God was long-suffering with in their disobedience in the time of Noah, made it to where God was only able to save 8 souls from the flood! Only 8!
And finally, he crossed back to Genesis chapter 6, where the sons of God mated with the daughters of men and their descendants were referred to as the mighty men of old. Meaning, Satan's legion of fallen angels tried to destroy God's greatest creation--humanity--by corrupting the bloodline. They created a super species known as the Nephilim. (In the King James, they are called giants). This was Satan's attempt to destroy humanity in its entirety. God wasn't pouring out wrath by flooding the earth; he was showing mercy on humankind by preserving it. He saved humanity through Noah and his family in the Ark.
My final side note (I swear): I was in college around 2006. I remember a good friend of mine and I were studying this chapter because God's destruction of the Earth through the flood seemed A.) out of character B.) drastic, C.) hard to wrap my mind around... And the passage about the Nephilim seemed random. (It's never a bad thing to question your faith. That's what makes it strong.) My friend consulted his minister at the time who told us that there was no special meaning to the Nephilim (meaning sons of God merely referred to followers of God and daughters of men referred to non-followers of God), that they had no bearing on the story of Noah (despite being the setup to the entire story), and that we didn't need to waste time focusing on it. Apparently, he wasn't aware that God thought so much of that species (Nephilim) that he (Jesus Christ) felt it necessary to seek them out in Hell to proclaim victory over them. But yeah, no big deal really. I wouldn't waste much thought on it...
Anyway, I guess as I heard this powerful message on Easter Sunday, I thought of all of the incorrect teaching, and all of the delicate subject matter of the Bible that many are afraid to study and address. And then I thought about the spiritual nature of the message, and I thought of my wife and her 8th graders. Many of them would not only be fascinated by a graphic novel or a comic that followed the train of thought in this sermon, they would understand it completely, because it would be told in a way that would engage and entertain them. How much easier teaching would be if we would just try. Education shouldn't be reserved for certain people, or learning styles, but is a right of all humanity. Maybe it's time that we use new types of materials (and by "new," I don't mean things from the 1990s) that appeal to more types of people. And maybe, we (the Church) might start to really make an impact on a broken world. Not to entertain, but to better inform. Just a thought.
P.S. If anyone has ideas and would like to illustrate this message...I think that would be amazing and I would happily post those images (giving credit to their creator, of course). 😂
Sunday, April 16, 2017
More Than I Could Give
So I've mentioned on a few occasions that I have a young son. He is almost 2, or as I like to think of him, 581 days old. It has been the fastest moving 581 days of my life. I already look through "old" pictures of Jude and I'm blown away by how much he changes and so quickly. The craziest part is that I have absolutely no recollection of my life before he was born. Sure, I can vaguely remember aspects of it. For instance, I remember being happy. I remember the people that I spent the most time with when free time was a thing. I remember the movies I used to like when I had time to watch them. But to specifically pinpoint how my days were spent prior to August 13, 2015, I would be guessing or lying, because that world doesn't exist anymore. Jude Alexander Vance is my A.D. And that's wonderful!
I know you're dying to know more about Jude, so here are some crazy things about my son:
1. Sometimes, I feel like he looks exactly like me...But other times, he looks soooooo much like my beautiful wife! It's bizarre.
2. He's a person. He walks, he talks, he climbs, he runs, he makes me laugh, he has interests, and favorites, and is never far from my thoughts. 600 days ago, I was still guessing what he'd be like. He was alive, but I didn't know him. Now, I know him so well!
3. He walks on his tip toes. It's a really weird quirk and I'd love to say that I don't know where he gets that from except that I do. My parents tell me that I walked exactly the same way when I was his age.
4. He doesn't have to be taught in order to learn. He just observes the people in his world and he picks things up. It scares me that my one and a half year old is smarter than I am.
5. Whenever he says "Daddy," I feel an indescribable joy. Fortunately, I see the look on his mom's face when he says "Mommy," and I know that she feels it too.
And of course, any parents out there are reading and smiling and thinking about their own children and grandchildren. If you do not have children yet, don't worry, you'll feel it too. Also, nieces and nephews can have the same effect I've found. Take it from a guy who never thought he wanted children until Jude arrived--it's magical.
Last week, I was so fortunate to spend three full, uninterrupted days with Kayla and Jude in Branson, MO. Let me tell you, that's as close to Heaven on Earth as I have ever been and I can say, if Heaven is anything like that time with my family, count me all the way in. We swam. We played on a playground. We laughed. We went out to new restaurants and tried local foods. We went to a couple of animal parks.
Side note - Jude got to be about 30 inches from two different tigers. He loved it! The tigers loved it! And Kayla and I loved it! It was awesome!!!
Point being, I really love my son! I know, blah, blah, blah. But it's true, and he's on my mind a lot, so, he will be a recurring theme in these pages. Get used to it!
And, of course, if you know me or feel like you're starting to know me through these blog entries, then you know that everything causes me to think. And with Easter coming, (or Passover if you are of Jewish faith), of course, I've been thinking about that. What does Easter mean?
So what follows may seem scattered because I'm going to circle around to several ideas, but I promise, I'm going somewhere so please try to follow me. Thanks ☺
I was thinking about how wonderful Christmas is, and should be. The celebration of the Messiah being born, the fruition of ancient prophecy, the humble king born in a manger. And doesn't it feel good to decorate the house and buy presents and feel the anticipation of seeing someone open the thing that you hope they've been desperately wanting. And, of course, we give these gifts because wise men gave their gifts to baby Jesus. I love Christmas!
And then I think about what we give at Easter and why...It's strange, we give Easter baskets and bunnies and eggs and I like to believe that that is all fitting because it represents new life, like the Resurrection. But I sometimes wonder why we give so much at Christmas and so little at Easter when we (humanity) were given so much at Easter? And then I think about the things that I could never give. Guess what comes to mind first: Jude Alexander Vance. My 581-day-old, one and only son. I don't think there is anything I could give him up for.
And now we're coming to it...See this story starts when Abraham, an old man, who had been waiting his whole life to have a son with his wife, Sara. God had made a promise to Abraham that his descendants would outnumber the sands of the beach and the stars in the sky (See Genesis chapters 22 & 24). That's a lot of offspring. But as he (Abraham) approached the age of 100, still no offspring. He eventually grew impatient and had a child with a servant (Hagar) whom he named Ishmael (this is why Abraham is also the Patriarch of Islam), and then, after Abraham got ahead of God's perfect timing, God finally told Abraham and Sara that they would have their own son together even in their old age. His name was Issac (this is why Abraham is the Patriarch of Judaism and Christianity).
Off topic, but being the father of three religions certainly fulfills God's original promise that Abraham would have descendants so numerous that they would outnumber the sands and the stars. Also, Sara forcing Ishmael and his mother Hagar to flee from them came with a promise from the Lord that God sees the injustice done to Ishmael (the Nation of Islam) and that Ishmael would fight his brother Isaac, but that Ishmael's descendants would also be blessed. Think of how clearly this defines the role of religion in our world and especially in the Middle East.
Anyway, back on track. Later, God tells Abraham to take Issac out into the woods and prepare a sacrifice (shedding innocent blood is the only atonement for sin). Abraham believes that God is asking him to sacrifice his son Issac (who is innocent) and Abraham is willing to obey. (I cannot even imagine this). When God see's Abraham's obedience, he stops the sacrifice and offers a new sacrifice...God offers up himself.
Flash forward to Jesus. The Messiah, born a Jew to a virgin teenager, delivered in a manger on the back side of nowhere with a Jewish leader, Herod, killing first born Jewish children to prevent them from taking his throne. A man without sin, found blameless by the courts, hated by his own (Romans 10, they were blinded so that we might be crafted in), offered up as a living sacrifice (Jesus' blood was innocent too; the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world), God's only son, Jesus of Nazareth.
At this point, if you are a Christian, you are probably waiting for the review to end and the point to land. If you are not, you might be wondering why in the world Christians believe in a deity, and moreover, why that deity would choose a virgin teenager to birth a child through supernatural conception, only to be brutally tortured and murdered, given up by his friends and condemned by his own race? And most of all, you, the non-Christian might be wondering how someone could believe such a fantastic and unbelievable tale...I'll answer the question of the non-Christian first with a paraphrasing of Paul Harvey's famous, "Christmas Story: The Man And The Birds," (see full text here) that I hope finds the mark, and then make my final point.
A wife asks her husband to go to church with her and their child for Christmas service. The husband refuses because of how unbelievable the whole story of Jesus is. He was in his chair, warm by the fire during a snow storm, when he heard a loud sound. It was birds tapping at the window, trying desperately to get in his house. Rather than let them freeze in the cold, the man decided to try to get the birds to shelter in his barn. He opened the barn doors wide, but they wouldn't come. So he went to get bread crumbs to throw in the barn, but the birds weren't enticed. He tried unsuccessfully to catch them and then tried to shoo them in, but they continued to flap helplessly in the cold snow. Then he realized that he frightened the birds because he was a big, foreign creature that they couldn't understand. "If I could only be a bird and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way into the safe, warm barn...But I would have to be one of them so they could see, hear, understand..."
I'll end there, but let me say that it dawned on him that there was a very good reason that God became man...Humans aren't gods and so they cannot relate with God. But when God became man, he could show people the way.
Now, to get to the point, I love my only son more than anything. There is no way that I could look around at the rest of the world and offer him up as a sacrifice for its wrongdoing. He's too sweet. Too funny. Too beautiful. Too innocent. And I love him way too much. There is no way I could watch him be beaten, ridiculed, tortured, and killed. But, as a Christian, that's exactly what I believe God did for you, and me, and the entire world from the beginning to the end. He took what was most valuable and poured out all of his wrath and judgement and punishment on Jesus, so that we could be saved, feel loved, and have eternal life. I get very emotional now as I finally understand the story of Easter.
We don't give gifts at Easter because there is no gift that could ever compare to the gift of the cross...And what's even better is that, because Jesus Christ is God in flesh, his power showed in the Resurrection. He conquered death, Hell, and the grave. He is Lord! He is love! His arms are open to everyone of us! All because he gave what I could never give.
I know you're dying to know more about Jude, so here are some crazy things about my son:
1. Sometimes, I feel like he looks exactly like me...But other times, he looks soooooo much like my beautiful wife! It's bizarre.
2. He's a person. He walks, he talks, he climbs, he runs, he makes me laugh, he has interests, and favorites, and is never far from my thoughts. 600 days ago, I was still guessing what he'd be like. He was alive, but I didn't know him. Now, I know him so well!
3. He walks on his tip toes. It's a really weird quirk and I'd love to say that I don't know where he gets that from except that I do. My parents tell me that I walked exactly the same way when I was his age.
4. He doesn't have to be taught in order to learn. He just observes the people in his world and he picks things up. It scares me that my one and a half year old is smarter than I am.
5. Whenever he says "Daddy," I feel an indescribable joy. Fortunately, I see the look on his mom's face when he says "Mommy," and I know that she feels it too.
And of course, any parents out there are reading and smiling and thinking about their own children and grandchildren. If you do not have children yet, don't worry, you'll feel it too. Also, nieces and nephews can have the same effect I've found. Take it from a guy who never thought he wanted children until Jude arrived--it's magical.
Last week, I was so fortunate to spend three full, uninterrupted days with Kayla and Jude in Branson, MO. Let me tell you, that's as close to Heaven on Earth as I have ever been and I can say, if Heaven is anything like that time with my family, count me all the way in. We swam. We played on a playground. We laughed. We went out to new restaurants and tried local foods. We went to a couple of animal parks.
Side note - Jude got to be about 30 inches from two different tigers. He loved it! The tigers loved it! And Kayla and I loved it! It was awesome!!!
Point being, I really love my son! I know, blah, blah, blah. But it's true, and he's on my mind a lot, so, he will be a recurring theme in these pages. Get used to it!
And, of course, if you know me or feel like you're starting to know me through these blog entries, then you know that everything causes me to think. And with Easter coming, (or Passover if you are of Jewish faith), of course, I've been thinking about that. What does Easter mean?
So what follows may seem scattered because I'm going to circle around to several ideas, but I promise, I'm going somewhere so please try to follow me. Thanks ☺
I was thinking about how wonderful Christmas is, and should be. The celebration of the Messiah being born, the fruition of ancient prophecy, the humble king born in a manger. And doesn't it feel good to decorate the house and buy presents and feel the anticipation of seeing someone open the thing that you hope they've been desperately wanting. And, of course, we give these gifts because wise men gave their gifts to baby Jesus. I love Christmas!
And then I think about what we give at Easter and why...It's strange, we give Easter baskets and bunnies and eggs and I like to believe that that is all fitting because it represents new life, like the Resurrection. But I sometimes wonder why we give so much at Christmas and so little at Easter when we (humanity) were given so much at Easter? And then I think about the things that I could never give. Guess what comes to mind first: Jude Alexander Vance. My 581-day-old, one and only son. I don't think there is anything I could give him up for.
And now we're coming to it...See this story starts when Abraham, an old man, who had been waiting his whole life to have a son with his wife, Sara. God had made a promise to Abraham that his descendants would outnumber the sands of the beach and the stars in the sky (See Genesis chapters 22 & 24). That's a lot of offspring. But as he (Abraham) approached the age of 100, still no offspring. He eventually grew impatient and had a child with a servant (Hagar) whom he named Ishmael (this is why Abraham is also the Patriarch of Islam), and then, after Abraham got ahead of God's perfect timing, God finally told Abraham and Sara that they would have their own son together even in their old age. His name was Issac (this is why Abraham is the Patriarch of Judaism and Christianity).
Off topic, but being the father of three religions certainly fulfills God's original promise that Abraham would have descendants so numerous that they would outnumber the sands and the stars. Also, Sara forcing Ishmael and his mother Hagar to flee from them came with a promise from the Lord that God sees the injustice done to Ishmael (the Nation of Islam) and that Ishmael would fight his brother Isaac, but that Ishmael's descendants would also be blessed. Think of how clearly this defines the role of religion in our world and especially in the Middle East.
Anyway, back on track. Later, God tells Abraham to take Issac out into the woods and prepare a sacrifice (shedding innocent blood is the only atonement for sin). Abraham believes that God is asking him to sacrifice his son Issac (who is innocent) and Abraham is willing to obey. (I cannot even imagine this). When God see's Abraham's obedience, he stops the sacrifice and offers a new sacrifice...God offers up himself.
Flash forward to Jesus. The Messiah, born a Jew to a virgin teenager, delivered in a manger on the back side of nowhere with a Jewish leader, Herod, killing first born Jewish children to prevent them from taking his throne. A man without sin, found blameless by the courts, hated by his own (Romans 10, they were blinded so that we might be crafted in), offered up as a living sacrifice (Jesus' blood was innocent too; the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world), God's only son, Jesus of Nazareth.
At this point, if you are a Christian, you are probably waiting for the review to end and the point to land. If you are not, you might be wondering why in the world Christians believe in a deity, and moreover, why that deity would choose a virgin teenager to birth a child through supernatural conception, only to be brutally tortured and murdered, given up by his friends and condemned by his own race? And most of all, you, the non-Christian might be wondering how someone could believe such a fantastic and unbelievable tale...I'll answer the question of the non-Christian first with a paraphrasing of Paul Harvey's famous, "Christmas Story: The Man And The Birds," (see full text here) that I hope finds the mark, and then make my final point.
A wife asks her husband to go to church with her and their child for Christmas service. The husband refuses because of how unbelievable the whole story of Jesus is. He was in his chair, warm by the fire during a snow storm, when he heard a loud sound. It was birds tapping at the window, trying desperately to get in his house. Rather than let them freeze in the cold, the man decided to try to get the birds to shelter in his barn. He opened the barn doors wide, but they wouldn't come. So he went to get bread crumbs to throw in the barn, but the birds weren't enticed. He tried unsuccessfully to catch them and then tried to shoo them in, but they continued to flap helplessly in the cold snow. Then he realized that he frightened the birds because he was a big, foreign creature that they couldn't understand. "If I could only be a bird and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way into the safe, warm barn...But I would have to be one of them so they could see, hear, understand..."
I'll end there, but let me say that it dawned on him that there was a very good reason that God became man...Humans aren't gods and so they cannot relate with God. But when God became man, he could show people the way.
Now, to get to the point, I love my only son more than anything. There is no way that I could look around at the rest of the world and offer him up as a sacrifice for its wrongdoing. He's too sweet. Too funny. Too beautiful. Too innocent. And I love him way too much. There is no way I could watch him be beaten, ridiculed, tortured, and killed. But, as a Christian, that's exactly what I believe God did for you, and me, and the entire world from the beginning to the end. He took what was most valuable and poured out all of his wrath and judgement and punishment on Jesus, so that we could be saved, feel loved, and have eternal life. I get very emotional now as I finally understand the story of Easter.
We don't give gifts at Easter because there is no gift that could ever compare to the gift of the cross...And what's even better is that, because Jesus Christ is God in flesh, his power showed in the Resurrection. He conquered death, Hell, and the grave. He is Lord! He is love! His arms are open to everyone of us! All because he gave what I could never give.
Monday, April 10, 2017
Life is a Vapor
With the recent U.S. air strikes in Syria, I can't help but think, what does it all mean? I don’t care about the politics of it; if you do, good for you. As I've stated before, I'm a Christian so I view world events through that prism, and in Christianity, there is a belief of an end-of-world scenario. Damascus, Syria is very much a part of that scenario. But that view isn’t unique to Christianity. Jewish and Islamic Religions (Abraham’s other descendants and their cultures) believe in a similar end-of-the-world scenario, but there are others as well. Mayan culture predicted an end, Hindu culture predicts a more cyclical end and new beginning, Norse mythology had similar beliefs, and even modern science offers various hypotheses of an end of the earth as we know it.
Point being, regardless of what you believe, air strikes that take place in the Middle East with countries the size of the United States and Russia involved should get your attention.
So, my reaction to our current events is to turn to my Bible. As I did, what did I find? In the Old Testament book of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 17, there's a prophecy regarding the destruction of the city of Damascus (the capital of Syria). In the Old Testament book of the prophet Ezekiel, it talks of a Gog of Magog war, where the Gog of the north, Russia, gets a hook in its jaw and is drawn to a war. I look at the time since 1947 when Israel was formed in a day or in 1967 when Israel won a war against all of its surrounding enemies in a matter of days. This is straight out of Ezekiel 37 and 38.
When I searched online, I found that many are looking to the skies and predicting that fulfillment of Revelation 12 (The Woman and the Dragon) will take place on September 23, 2017. Astronomers are confirming that there are constellation alignments that haven’t been since the time of Adam and Eve. If you haven't seen this, please look up videos of these things on YouTube. And then I found video about a series of 12 Biblical scholars from the 1730s through the 1880s (tribulation-now.org) who believed and showed evidence pointing to a time around 2016 as the time of Armageddon.
And to non-believers, think of it this way... Donald Trump holds the office of Commander in Chief in the United States of America!?!?! Who'd have ever thought that? Global warming is on the lips of every scientist in the world. And regardless of the religious tone of the strikes in Syria, a nuclear war could wipe humanity off the face of the earth. Even Leonardo Di Caprio felt strongly enough about the state of our planet that he made a film imploring us to take care of it before it's too late. And on and on and on...
And as interestingly terrifying as all of that sounds, that's not what I want to talk about. Wait, what? But I've just spent all of that time... Exactly! Setting the stage for what I'll say next.
Regardless of where your beliefs are, there is an unrest in our world that is unprecedented historically. World War III could start tomorrow and no one would be surprised. So, I ask, what are we doing? I mean really... survey your life and ask yourself, what am I doing?
Are you planning? Are you growing? Are you enjoying it? Are you learning? Are you desperate to reconcile with loved ones, or better yourself, or join a cause? What are you doing every day? Is it important? And then, as I write this, I look in the mirror and ask, "Nate, what are you doing?"
This blog is small, for now. But it's my place to have a voice. It’s a part of what I'm doing. And, for the second post in a row, I'm going to turn my writing over to ask my fellow Christians a simple question: if these are the last days of life as we know it, what is truly important?
So ready or not, here we go.
What is "the church?" The Bible describes it as the body and the bride of Christ. Jesus called Peter the Rock, and used him to help establish his church. That church is to be the love of Jesus's life (his bride) and his grand masterpiece! It is an interconnected community of believers in the life and death of the Son of God! But I look around and think of my experience in churches and I don't remember masterpieces. What I remember is as follows:
1. More denominations than I can count. Mostly bad-mouthing each other and competing for members.
2. People who waste time majoring in minors (carpet colors, dress codes, work days, hurt feelings, etc.)
3. Very little collective interest in loving and modeling Christ to a brokenhearted, hurting world.
4. Extremely poor training. (Seriously, school teachers are required to have Master's Degrees in Kentucky, but most ministers aren't required to have a Bachelor's degree. Many more haven't even read the entire Bible.)
Side note – I’m very fortunate to have a father with multiple degrees in science, education, and theology and who has been ordained by multiple denominations. I was also fortunate enough to have an excellent grounding in the Bible through my Catholic schooling. Most church attendees are not so fortunate.
5. Always asking volunteers to do work rather than paying money for quality and contributing to the economy.
6. Constantly arguing over politics (national and religious).
7. Allowing gossip and judgment to point out how much better the churchgoers are than the non.
8. An extreme lack of faith in God's power.
9. People who need to feel scolded to feel like they've "had Church." (Just, wow!)
10. A total mess...
I’ve found Christian people can be the meanest and unhappiest people I've ever met. There are exceptions, of course, but these angry, religious zealots have given the world a false picture of Jesus Christ. The church, as it was designed, doesn't even exist in modern society. It can't because of how fractured it has become. This group doesn't agree with that group and this doctrine is different than that. And then there is this rule and that rule. If everyone could be honest, the truth is that they, whoever they are, want it to be hard to be Christian. Why? Because humans want to be better than each other, and if it’s hard to be right, then being right makes you the best. And that's the point of religion. News flash, Christ didn't die for us to have more religion, in fact, he spent quite a bit of his time on earth challenging religious leaders. He died for relationship with humanity! All humanity!
So, if we're supposed to be a unified body, then we've missed the mark. It's odd, my arms don't hate my legs. My hair doesn't hate my foot. In fact, my hair seems to love all of me; a little too much sometimes. So does the Church really function like a body? Not that I've seen...and a better question, why does it seem so hard to be Christian? Well, John 3:16 says, "For God so LOVED the World that he GAVE his only son that WHOEVER believes in him should not perish but have EVERLASTING life." Sound too easy? Maybe the next verse is where God tells the real story about rules and wrath and judgement and discord. In verse 17, it says, "For God did not send his son into the world to judge the world, but that through him it might be saved." Oh wait, there’s no talk of how angry God is, or how happy he is to punish. Actually, in the follow-up, there is an even more definitive statement of God’s love and intentions. But how can it be that easy to follow Christ through simple belief? I guess, maybe, just maybe, God’s not mad, and Christianity isn’t about wrath and judgement but exists because of Gods incredible LOVE! Not his rules. Not his doctrine. Not his angry, unapproachable nature. Just his unfailing love!
I'm sure you're waiting for a point and I promise it's coming. In my last post, I said I was developing a better bulb to shine a brighter, more effective light. This is a very simple start. I want you (myself included) to think of every person you care about that might not believe in Christ or know him or whatever their story is. Now, think of what they hear you say, see you do, or if they know what you believe. Think if they would be in heaven if Jesus did return in 2017. If not, what is your role in that? Do you spend time praying for them? Do you shine a light for them to see? Are you a representation of Jesus for them? If not, why? Before you go out here and try to just tell people they're living in sin and need to repent, READ THE BIBLE AND SEE HOW JESUS DID IT! Your job is not to be God, but to show people who God is through your actions, words, etc. God is LOVE. God = Love.
Are you a part of the church? Or are you a part of a local church that acts more like terminal cancer to the body than a healthy, functioning organ? Do you see positive impact on your community from your body? Have you seen people be hurt and leave the church? Have you asked them to forgive you for your role? Have you asked them what it was that hurt them so bad in the first place? Have they been loved ones? Does your attitude reflect the love of Jesus? If you and I don't like our answers, then it's time we shake things up. It's time to reach out to the world with the loving arms of Christ. It's time to shine light rather than condemn darkness. It’s time to grow up and start acting like a healthy body--the masterpiece that Jesus envisions us to collectively be.
Why?
Because, believe it or not, life is a vapor. It appears for a time and then vanishes away. So, start shining a bright light in your world now... soon it will be gone, one way or another.
Monday, March 27, 2017
Rejuvenated with a Purpose
What drives any of us to get out of bed in the morning? If I
am honest, the two main factors in my daily routine are my wife and my son.
They, as I’ve stated before, are my world. I’m sure many people would answer
this similarly. But what exists beyond this? Surely there is something more.
What am I even talking about?
I would consider this a continuation of my last post. If you
missed it, feel free to read here, but the general idea was that I want to be an
author of novels, that I thought I had found a publisher, and that they
rejected me after my hopes were fully up. No big deal--everyone has been
rejected at some time. That experience has led me somewhere new. Not like my
toddler that moves from one thing to the next at the speed of sound, but
something bigger. Like my drive to be an author may only be a part of my existence.
Full disclosure – I am a Christian. I am not going to use
this space to shape your opinions, you can come to those yourself, but I do
think it’s fair to be up front about it. If that bothers you, there is very
little need to read on. It is important to say, however, because my
Christianity defines me and my every decision. To a non-Christian this probably
sounds crazy, as it should. If you do not believe in Jesus Christ, then my
lifestyle and belief system should be foreign to you in every way, but it does
help my life make sense.
Now that I’ve let that cat out of the bag, I’ll continue. I
believe that I was put on this earth for a reason. My life should serve a
purpose. In the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah’s book, it says, “Before I formed
you in the womb I knew you; and before you were born I consecrated you;” and
then later in Jeremiah it says, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope.” This
was God speaking to Jeremiah, but also through Jeremiah, as a parent would, to
all humanity. That, in a grand sense, is the plan for each of us. And beyond
that, the specific plan, or assignment, for each of our lives.
Has anyone ever had a dream burning deep inside of
them? I have. My dreams start with being a novelist, but are much larger than
that. They are so big, I know that I could never accomplish them alone. That
both excites me and terrifies me simultaneously. The problem in my life has
been the focus on my writing has caused me to lose sight of those bigger
dreams. The rejection helped fix that.
In the days that have followed the dreaded rejection letter,
I have done a great deal of soul searching. The questions keep coming, Why can’t I catch my big break? Why do I
want this so bad? Does God really have a plan for me? You may be rolling
your eyes and thinking that I need to improve as a writer, become a better
self-marketer, give up, and maybe even, you aren’t special and there is no God
to make your dreams come true. And those are all OK with me. In fact, all of
those perspectives are helpful. They reset me, help me gain perspective and
reevaluate my situation.
*Side note – Any person who cannot stand to challenge their
faith, really doesn’t have any faith to begin with. Sad but true.
So, where does that leave me? Excited. It puts me in the
position to remember what I have always wanted to do, which includes a great
deal more than simply becoming a novelist. It has caused me to take a hard look
at the world and determine the things that I can’t stand about it. This is the
point where you probably think I’m going to go on a rampage against the
political agenda of the “left”, the corruption that is infecting our world, or
some other stupid opinion that is being lobbed by lazy Christians that
apparently don’t own mirrors and can’t see their own role in all of the
ugliness. So then what? What exactly do I hate about the world that I want to
change?
Answer -
I hate Christian entertainment! I absolutely hate it! Hate
it! Hate it! Hate it! Why, might you ask? I hate it because it is less than. It
is niche. It is not a recruiting tool. It is sub-standard. It serves no
purpose. It is often laughable! It makes me look like a dope by association
with those Christians that are making it! It is at the center of the irrelevance
of the "church" in modern America! Let me repeat, I HATE IT!
Jesus said his kingdom is not of this world. That makes
Christians ambassadors in this world for Christ their King--MY KING! It bothers
me in ways that I cannot describe when I see the shoddy work being put out in
the name of my God, my savior, my king! Why couldn’t a movie with a Christian
theme be so well executed that it would have to be considered for Oscar
nominations? Why does the writing have to be generic and hokey? That’s idiotic and makes no impact
on the world. Why can’t the lyrics to Christian songs be inspired and powerful?
Or the melodies be catchy and cutting edge? Why couldn’t those mediums be used
to change opinions? Why do these books, songs, albums, movies, etc. have to be
produced in such a way that they only cater to people who are already
Christian, and re-enforce the belief of non-Christians that we among the
Kingdom of God are misguided, less talented, uninspired, silly, crazy, cultish,
or beneath them? Why not spend the money to produce something good? Why pretend
that something bad is good? Why accept being less than? Why was a talent like
Elvis ostracized by the church but is still beloved 50 years after his death by
the world? All he wanted to do was sing gospel music that wasn’t acceptable to
the modern day Pharisees. That was too good to be true! And finally, why does
the Christian world typically run at least 50 years behind the rest of the
world?
Does any of this resonate? Christian or non-? Am I the only
one who see’s things this way?
I realize that I am in full tangent mode with a lot of
rhetorical questions, but I feel a burning desire to know why things are the way
they are. If I were going to war, I would want the best armor, the best intel,
the best weapons, and the best strategy to give me the best chance to win. So
why in a cultural war would I settle for far less than the best in these
metaphorical areas? It makes no sense. And so, I come back to my dreams and my
purpose. I want to change this!
I want to be a part of a movement toward better Christian
entertainment. I want to compete in the cultural war. I want to show off the
best of my God, My Lord, My Savior, My King! I want every Christian book, song,
album, poem, movie, or biography to be done with excellence and to extend the
kingdom of Jesus Christ! I don’t want to be a part of something second best,
but a part of something revolutionary like Jesus! I want the world to know the
man who sacrificed himself on all of our behalf. And I want to be a part of the
revolution that brings salvation, love, joy, peace, happiness, power, and
truth. I want to challenge the establishment to be better, not ask the darkness
to stop being so dark. I want to stop being associated with idiots… because
idiots don’t make things better, they make things worse. They don’t feed the
hungry, shelter the homeless, heal the sick, or mend the brokenhearted, they
complain, they settle, and they impact very little positive change.
So I ask again, is my dream too much to hope for? Does it
make people uncomfortable? Does it turn people off? Well that’s just too bad…It’s
my dream and it has me rejuvenated. Why? Because the world is filled with so
much darkness and my hope is to invent a better bulb so that I can shine a more
effective light.
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