Monday, April 30, 2018

Are You Famous?

I read a great quote the other day:

If you have to tell people you're famous, then you’re technically not that famous. - David Spade

First off, that made me laugh. Especially since I heard it in my head with David Spade's voice. But then I really got to think about it. It's like when someone has to explain to you that they are cool or they are nice. My initial reaction is always, "Are you sure?" Usually if you are a nice person I can figure it out on my own, I don't need to you to tell me.

Is this true of out faith too? It hurts to read, but put your relationship with Jesus into that statement. "If you have to tell people you're a follower of Christ, then you're not technically that much of a follower of Christ." That sounds painful and wrong, but is it? I'm not saying anyone who sees you from a distance should know what you believe by what you wear or something crazy like that, but if you are so dedicated to Jesus it emanates from you do you need to explain it?

One of my favorite verses: But we Christians have no veil over our faces; we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him. ~ II Corinthians 3:18 (TLB)

Generally if people see a reflection in a mirror, no one needs to explain it...

T

Monday, April 23, 2018

"Can Anything Good Come From Nazareth?"

I've heard this quote before. It's from a man named Nathanael talking about Jesus. A friend had told Nathan they had found the Messiah, but when Nathan heard He was from Nazareth he didn't believe it.

For so long I've heard this told from a hoity-toity point of view. From a "better than you" type mindset" but something I read the other day challenged that. Nathan was from Galilee, an area also considered by the rich and religious to be the armpit of Israel.

The question is, when Nathan said this was he thinking he was better than Jesus? Or was it more of a, "we're all from the slums, how can anything good come from us?"

How often has the second idea stopped us? I'm not good enough, smart enough, people don't like me, whatever it may be, we wear that badge and see God through our circumstances. We don't see God working in our lives because we see ourselves as in the slums and God can't work here.

Maybe this is also why Jesus praised Nathanael the first time He met him. Jesus gave Nathan a huge compliment and built him up. Called him a man of complete integrity (wouldn't you like Jesus to say that about you?).

Now, after knowing the whole story we who are thousands of miles and thousands of years have no problem saying God can do something amazing in Nazareth. But are we able to say God can do that where you live too?

T

Monday, April 16, 2018

When Was the Last Time You Were Excited About Something?

Did you talk about it a lot?

So how do we get ourselves to feel that way about Jesus?

Monday, April 09, 2018

We're Being Taught Not To Wait

I'm learning this more and more with my daughter. Not because she's an impatient toddler or anything, but more because of how we live today.

She has no idea what it means to wait for a television show to be on. Or a specific episode. Everything is instant. Need food? We have so much of it. It only takes a few seconds to warm up, if you need it hot.

So now she has this mindset that we are constantly trying to help her with. Everything is the way I want it now. Again, not in a bad way, it's just the world she is being brought up in. As she has told us many times now, "It's hard to wait."

But Jesus is different.

There are hundreds of verses that follow the themes of patience, waiting, God's timing, etc. God is not about the microwave, He is all about slow roasting. Even now I'm reading a book about how Jesus shared the Gospel and although we may be fooled into thinking it was quickly to crowds Jesus more commonly shared His Gospel message slowly to individuals.

So now in our smartphone society we are trying to teach our daughter about waiting. Not just because she will need it later in life, but my bigger fear is her missing what God has for her because He doesn't move as fast as she thinks He should. As is often found in the Gospels: Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” (John 2:4b)

We need to learn to wait. It's that simple.

T

Monday, April 02, 2018

How Offended Were You On Easter?

You should have been...

We try too hard to make sure people aren't offended these days. I was reading about a new position at publishing companies, sensitivity editor. They read your manuscript and edit it to make sure you don't offend a certain group, target demographic, etc. They change the story to make sure it's nice and palatable.

The problem is, that doesn't work. If you have a story that will truly resonate with someone at some level they will be offended. If you love someone with your whole heart at some point you will offend them. The story of Jesus offends, it has to. If I'm not offended by it something is wrong. I am a sinner, I am in need of a Savior, death was the only way to make me whole, God loves me so much He would do this all for me, all of these statements are offensive. I'm not as good as I think I am, I'm not as self-sufficient as I want to me, I don't like Someone had to die, I don't deserve this love.

It's a fine line we need to walk as those who love Jesus and others. We need to lovingly offend people. We can't back away from sharing Jesus with others because they might be offended. We just can't.

Paul couldn't.
"If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended." (Galatians 5:11b, NLT)

Jesus couldn't. After teaching:
Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you?" (John 6:61 NLT)

I am offended by the Easter story. And that's not a problem with the story, that's a problem with me. And I will offend others with the same story. I'm okay with that, are you?

T