But First: II Peter 3 (TEN YEARS!)

First published Friday, November 27, 2009

Peter wrote his two letters, as reminders to the Church. He urged us not to be distracted. And distractions are many, especially today, in the age of ADD (that's another topic - but my belief is that ADD is more a function of our culture, than it is an individual problem.)

A hundred years ago, most communities had two modes of entertainment: the saloon, and the church. You could focus your weekends on one or the other. And the two stood in stark opposition to each other.

At home, before there was TV and air conditioning, families would while away the evening hours on the porch, telling stories, passing along their faith and legacy from one generation to the next.

There wasn't a lot to do. But what people did do, was of enormous value.

First off, you need to know that in the last days, mockers are going to have a heyday.

So it is in these times. With so many distractions, change happening at such a rapid rate, the 24-7 news cycle, is it any wonder we find it hard to focus?

God knew it would get this way . . . He made us! Peter received a Word of inspiration from God, and communicated it to us in the form of this prophecy!

When I first studied this verse of Scripture, as an adult, it seemed like such a remote prospect: people openly mocking God and His Word! But it is true today. People mock Him not so much in their words, but in their deeds, as well. There is an open defiance of what is good, true, and right. In the West, the Church is in decline. The alternatives appear so much more fun!

So - be not discouraged when you see the world in decay, be it global warming, urban troubles, partisan hate . . . all of these matters need the Master's touch, and they require our patient attention. We need not accept the world as it is. But we can be encouraged that God said hard times would come . . . His Eternal Kingdom follows. Keep watching this space . . .

Let's Just Let The Word Speak For Itself: I Peter 2 (10 Years!)

First published Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Christ suffered too, on your behalf

and left a tracing behind for you

so that you could follow his footsteps,

he who never did wrong,

nor did any deceit come out of his mouth,

who, when abuse was hurled, didn't hurl it back,

didn't answer suffering with threats,

but commended himself to the One who judges justly.

Thanks be to God for His wonderful gift.

Thank God for all of you, my friends.

Happy Thanksgiving.

The Role of Venting: I Peter 2 (10 Years!)

First published Tuesday, November 24, 2009

In today's news, there is a report about the need for people to vent, at the workplace, if they feel they are being mistreated. A decade-long study followed several thousand men around, and determined that those who bottle up their feelings have an increased risk of heart disease.

In the study, the outcome of bottled up anger includes bringing the frustrations home, and blowing up at family members, which isn't good, either!

What do we do then, about the admonition from Scripture, that we take what we are dished, with a positive attitude?

Domestics are to mind their masters with all due respect, and not just if they're kindly and fair but even if they're less than upright.

Well, I think there is the potential to confuse what it means to respect someone. How should we respect our boss, when he or she is not being fair to us? How can we do this?

Well, the fact is, that you are going to vent. We need to vent, and other parts of Scripture bear this out! And as referenced above, the venting must not be done to family! But in turn, we must not vent at people that have nothing to do with our workplace!

No, since we must vent, then the only fair thing to do is to vent at the source of the frustration: we must vent at the boss, but find a way to do it that shows respect!

Gossiping and complaining about the boss to others, is not showing respect to the boss. The only way to respect any person with whom we have issues, is to take it up to that person directly. This is true respect. But here again, Scripture supports this view. God wants us resolving our differences with others! If we backbite and gossip, we resolve nothing, and make the problem worse, by bringing others into it! Yet as humans, we resort to this approach over and over again.

There is only one way to resolve issues, with anybody, but especially with your boss. You have to talk to him or her directly. Any other way does not show grace, and fails to build God's Kingdom.

Some Balance in a Partisan Era: I Peter (TEN Years!)

First posted Monday, November 23, 2009

It's hard to believe the degree to which partisans of opposing sides hate one another.

Let's do a little exercise. Take a moment right now, to pray. Really, do it. If only for a few seconds. Ask God to grant you the grace and wisdom to view others as Christ does. Ask for God to place His love directly in your heart at this moment. If you can look out a window at people passing by, then do so, and imagine the warmth that fills God's heart when He notices the same people.

Is there someone you are angry at? Pray that God removes your anger and permits you to forgive that person. You have to do this for the exercise to work!

Now imagine what Jesus must think when he looks at his flock. Whether someone is in prison, or unemployed, or sick, or divorced, or orphaned . . . whatever the case. Think about the compassion he feels for all of us and try to get the same into your heart, just now.

Ready?

Now say the following out loud:

"I can't stand . . . " And finish the sentence with the name of a person.

Imagine you're a Democrat. Say "I can't stand Sarah Palin." If you're a Republican, say out loud "I can't stand Nancy Pelosi."

If you are truly seeing these two people, humans just like the rest of us, as God does, then you cannot possibly say that you "can't stand" them. "Can't standing" is the same as hating. And God has called us not to hate, but rather to love, others.

If you're like me, and you have prayed and checked your own human emotions, the phrase "I can't stand" might feel like a swear word to you. It has an ugly sound, and does not roll easily off the tongue. I feel I should speak it quietly, lest God Himself hear me say it! Perhaps I'll clear my throat after saying it. Maybe I'll apologize to those around me, for letting slip such a terrible string of words, in public! Best yet, maybe they'll take it as a joke, and laugh! Or perhaps they'll "know what I mean!"

Nancy Pelosi and Sarah Palin are people just like you and me. And they happen to have been placed in positions of authority . . . by Who? Yes, by God Himself.

Give honor to all: love brotherhood, fear God, respect the king.

You can hate the laws Nancy Pelosi passes. You can hate Sarah Palin's views. Chances are you will find something about me, or your best friend, or your spouse, or your children, that you hate.

But you must not hate the person!

Learn how to "stand" others. God requires it.

Dealing with "Others": I Peter 2 (10 Years!)

Originally published on Sunday, November 22, 2009

In one breath, Peter speaks about taming our passions, and acting nice toward others.

This is it. When we behave monogamously, are virgins until marriage, practice heterosexuality, refrain from gambling, avoid drunkenness, use clean language only, act with highest ethics in the workplace, act friendly to the unpopular, attend church regularly, read our Bibles and pray, stay in good physical condition, and generally stay away from any cultural influence that may distract us from the Risen Christ - people will hate us.

Their hate for us will soon turn into defining us as evil, ("Hate is not a family value," anyone?). Nobody wants to be thought of as "bad" or "evil." Even Hitler thought he was "good." But since we are holding up a standard that does not seem fun, or like "really living" to them, they must make it so that they are the "good" ones. If they can only make us out as the evil ones, then all they have to do is get further and further from Christ, to become the good ones in the equation. And all that takes is being natural. If it feels good, do it. Easy.

Your behavior towards other peoples should be good, so that just as they're denouncing you as evildoers they may take a look at what good you do and end up praising God on the judgment day.

Please do not be judgmental. When you do, you're messing things up! That person whose dress code you do not like, the young man with pierced ears and tattoos, the girls dressed in goth, whatever a person's particular brand of defiance or style; when you offend them, you drive them away from the Church, you deflect them from Christ.

You do not have to do those things. But you also do not have to look down on those that do.

The world is going to extremes these days, to get us all worked up. They love when we judge them. It only proves their point, that we are not as nice as we claim to be. But we have to put up with all their excesses, let it not derail us! We must prove that, however far over the edge they go, God's love can still go further.

And like it or not - we are the instruments that demonstrate God's love to them.

Let Me Say That Again - I Peter (TEN YEARS)

Originally posted Saturday, November 21, 2009

I feel like, in these blogs (my two decades of reading through the Bible), that I have over-emphasized the topic of controlling our tongues. But if the Apostles wrote about it so much in the Epistles, shouldn't we keep reminding ourselves of it?

When formulating some words in your mouth, either to say to someone, or in response to them, do you ever consider whether or not it is a good thing to say? Will it make the other person uncomfortable? Is it some teasing remark that the other is not in the mood to hear right now? Do you harbor some ill intent in your tone? Is there any jealousy at all, in your motives? Are you about to come across as judgmental?

Will the other person be happy, in just a few moments, that he or she happened to cross paths with you?

If you cannot answer these questions in a positive sense, one that would elevate God in the situation, one that will build people up and send them off in a better mood, then perhaps you should just keep your mouth shut.

I believe I may have come up with the quote: "Better to say nothing with a frown, than the wrong thing with a smile."

The more I think about it, the more I don't get the practice of teasing.

"If I didn't love you, I wouldn't give you a hard time." Oh really? Then why do others avoid you? Why do they forbear speaking to you? We disguise our insecurities and malice in something that Sinclair Lewis called "rude politeness," a behavior found mostly in the American Midwest.

The problem is, that most of the people I have come across, that do a lot of teasing (also known as "smart remarks," "wisecracks," etc.), do not like to be teased themselves.

You tease people inappropriately, and do not even know it. You're so used to it, you think it is normal.

Ask yourself this: was there anybody this morning, that when you saw them the first time, you did not say, "Good morning," with a smile? If not, then chances are you missed an opportunity to make another person feel good about the day. It's even worse if that person tried to say something nice to you, and you still smarted off at them.

If it makes you uncomfortable, or embarrassed, or if you are just protecting yourself from teasing that might come in your direction, I'm sorry. You still made the other person feel bad. You still failed.

Then put away all evil and trickery and pretense and envy and speaking evil, and be like newborn babes longing for genuine, undoctored milk that will make you grow toward salvation, "if you have tasted how good the Lord is."

Put away all of it. All of it. ALL. Put away even the part that you think is normal. Did Christ tease others, or was he careful about building them up? Was he good at understanding how others would respond to his remarks? Don't we feel better when we have encountered the Lord? Isn't it nice to know someone that will not say "Well, what are you doing over here in my church? Hahaha!"

I have known only two people that are true masters in the art of playful teasing. There does not seem to be any malice, and in a roundabout way they are actually saying something good about you:

My Uncle Arnold Darr. His teasing may come across as rather harsh and biting. But listen. First, he is uniquely funny. Most of you try to tease, but you're not funny so it doesn't work. And Uncle Arnie manages to make the teasing about some good quality. He actually is pointing this out.

The other is my brother-in-law Don Heller. He specializes in teasing children. But he always has a smile. His tone is gentle. And he does not tease them personally. He teases the situation, makes light of it. They know that he is kidding, and they are glad he has noticed them.

Both of them are genuine. They are being themselves. It comes easy to them.

Others attempt to tease as Arnie and Donnie do. But they are not being themselves. They are imitators, and it does not come across as natural. It doesn't work.

The rest of us need to specialize in gentle, positive, warm comments to one another. Talk to each other as Christ would.

The world is desperately short of that kind of talk.

Control Yourself: I Peter (TEN YEARS!)

Originally Posted on Thursday, November 19, 2009

I marvel that the modern Church, and the world in general, has failed to grasp the simplicity of self-control and personal mastery.

When you boil it all down, what God really wants from us, is to learn to control ourselves. I believe that humans would do anything, from the absurd to the horrible, if we could get away with it. Even atheists keep themselves in check, out of fear of the unknown. There isn't an atrocity any one of us wouldn't commit, if the conditions were right, and we could get away with it.

This is because God made us as children that must grow and mature. If we were good enough, righteous enough, and self-controlled enough, then immortality would be an easy gift for us. God desires for us to be good, and He wants us to live forever. But you cannot have everlasting evil. Yes, God is loving and this is why there is death.

Our animal desire to harm others is based on our inborn lack of self-control, and our natural narcissistic tendencies. We have even created religions that sound inspired enough, but in their acceptance of terrorism and silly rituals are the antithesis of what God wants for us.

All these rules that God gave us, these commandments and "thou shalt nots" are a training regimen to teach us self-control. Let us not envy or steal - therefore control our hunger so that we are not tempted to do wrong. Let us not commit adultery, so that our children may grow up in homes that model fidelity and devotion. Let us not lie, so that others do not build up resentment against us.

We live in a culture that says you should get all you can. If you are not getting sex in some form or another (any which way you can) then you are not "normal"; indeed, you are a freak if you are not getting some kind of sex. And we have made it so that any kind of sexual behavior is not only within the limits, but a good thing. 

But God says, "control yourself!"

It is a good thing to check our passions.

Be like obedient children, no longer shaped by the passions of your former ignorance.

We provide limits to our children, so that they can learn self-control.

But we remove limits on ourselves. In the end, we have made a culture where you are allowed to do anything you want, and the outcome is rage when you are denied. Rather than commending a young man for remaining a virgin until marriage, we mock him instead. Is it any wonder our young men go crazy, shooting up innocent bystanders?

We tell parents that they are owed a fun and wealthy life. They go for the money, through their careers; and for the fun, through divorce. Is it any wonder their children are angry?

Control yourself! Our appetites are many, and God made these rules so that we could practice mastery over ourselves.