25 January 2008 by Brian.

In every company, individuals must be fired from time to time. Of course, there are a variety of reasons this happens, but one fact is obvious. The individual whose employment has been terminated is not the only person affected. In fact, in most instances, the factors involved have already had a significant influence on most everyone around them. In thinking about this fact, I was reminded of an old analogy…a bad one, in fact.

You’ve heard it said, “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” Of course, this is true. However, a chain bears very little resemblance to most teams, organizations, societies, or other forms of human interaction. Reality more often resembles a net more closely than it does a chain. Chains are all or nothing. A link breaks and the chain fails completely or all the links maintain their integrity and the chain fulfills its task. Place the same weight in a net and one or two strands of the net might give under the pressure, but the dynamic of the net allows for the added pressure to be spread across the remainder of the strands and the net may continue to perform adequately.

On the other hand, in the chain, a link breaks, the load falls, but the remainder of the links are unaffected. Sure, the chain failed in its mission, but the remainder of the links can rightly claim that THEY did THEIR job. They are whole and could theoretically become put to use again (without the “assistance” of the failed link, of course). In the net, a strand breaks, but the net has not failed in its mission…yet. The combined strength of the remainder of the net may be sufficient to hold the load (possibly for a very long time), but the fact is that the remainder of those strands WILL work harder. They WILL carry more weight. And, if the load was at or near maximum capacity, the remainder of the net will eventually give in to the the strain…additional strands failing one by one.

In Biblical community, we are called to attend to our neighbor, to help them bear their burden and to share our strength with them. We cannot sit back like the strong link in the chain and say to the weaker link, “Too bad for you, but I’m good.” This responsibility can take many forms. Sometimes its tough love, as in the event of a company firing an employee. Sometimes its the obligation to speak the truth in love, rather than to smile and keep quiet when someone is on a dangerous path in life. Sometimes its simply to support, pray for, and love the person God has put beside you. But one thing is always clear: the obligation to love. We aren’t offered the option of isolation if we are to live Biblically, even though it may oftentimes be far more comfortable.

I know that I need to remind myself daily that the call of Christ is to, “take up my cross” and follow Him. If I’m to heed that call, comfort must be the first thing I put down in order to pick up that cross.

Posted in Abortion, Community, Humanism, Naturalism, Eurabia, Politics, Social Medicine, Missionaries, Europe, Missions, Trinitarianism, Trinity, Social Injustice, Social Justice, Relativism, Contemporary Christianity, Marriage, Islam, Sanctity of Life, Sex, Biblical Worldview, Morality, Israel, Morals, False Doctrine, Spirituality, Secularism | 1 Comment »

21 January 2008 by Brian.

Today is, of course, Martin Luther King, Jr.  Day and so I thought  it fitting to post something in remembrance of his contributions to our society.  Fox News offered this article on Dr. King’s leadership, both in reality and as it has been remembered (or not).   The following excerpt leads to my point for tonight:

“By freezing him at that point, by putting him on a pedestal of perfection that doesn’t acknowledge his complex views, “it makes it impossible both for us to find new leaders and for us to aspire to leadership,” Harris-Lacewell said.

She believes it’s important for Americans in 2008 to remember how disliked King was before his death in April 1968.

“If we forget that, then it seems like the only people we can get behind must be popular,” Harris-Lacewell said. “Following King meant following the unpopular road, not the popular one.”

This quote reminded me of how unpopular President Roosevelt became for his “warmongering” prior to the Japanese attack on the USA which launched us into WWII.  Where would the world be, had Roosevelt failed to prepare the nation (economically and militarily) for war against the Axis?

It also reminds me of the call of Christ to take up my cross and follow him on the narrow road that is God’s will for my life.  In this day and age of opinion polling, reality TV, and the constant pursuit of popularity, it’s important to remind ourselves that the popular position isn’t necessarily the right one.  Will we be leaders in our culture?  Or will we parrot society and take up only those “causes” already “championed” by everyone around us?

Posted in Humanism, Abortion, Homosexuality, Community, Naturalism, Eurabia, Israel, Social Justice, Social Injustice, Politics, Social Medicine, Missionaries, Europe, Christmas, Missions, Evil, Trinity, Trinitarianism, Environmentalism, Religious fanaticism, Radicals, Sex, Biblical Worldview, Postmodernism, Contemporary Christianity, Relativism, Sanctity of Life, Islam, Marriage, Postmodern Philosophy, Postmodernity, Morality, Religion, Radicalism, Morals, New Age Spirituality, North Korea, Spirituality, New Age, Secularism | 1 Comment »

3 January 2008 by Brian.

Theodore Dalrymple offers the following thought in his new book, “In Praise of Prejudice.”

“The radical skeptic, nowadays at least, is in search not so much of truth, as of liberty – that is to say, of liberty conceived of the largest field imaginable for the satisfaction of his whims.”

Don’t be mislead by Dalrymple’s provocative title; he is clear in his rejection of racial prejudice and he clearly states that many prejudices are, in fact, bad prejudices and should be opposed and overcome. However, as the quoted statement indicates, one must be careful to consider the reason for abandoning a prejudice: is it simply to obtain license for unbridled indulgence? Or is it because the assertion, prejudice, or creed in question actually stands in opposition to legal, moral, or spiritual truth? The answers to these questions will make all the difference in the life of the skeptic or in that of his society.

It’s an old saying (and I’m not sure of its origin), but it bears repeating here: “before tearing down a fence, one should pause long enough to consider why the fence was erected in the first place.”

Posted in Eurabia, Naturalism, Humanism, Quotes, Social Injustice, Israel, Social Justice, Abortion, Homosexuality, Evil, Europe, Environmentalism, Social Medicine, Community, Politics, Religion, Morality, Contemporary Christianity, Sex, Relativism, Marriage, Sanctity of Life, Islam, Biblical Worldview, Postmodernism, False Doctrine, Morals, Spirituality, North Korea, Postmodern Philosophy, Postmodernity, Secularism | 1 Comment »

14 November 2007 by Brian.

One of the most obvious facts of life is that I am not capable of dealing with all that comes my way.  (In fact, if we want to get specific, there’s only a tiny percentage of my life that I am truly capable of handling.)  Why is it, then, that I am so easily deceived into believing that I can?  As a result, therefore, I must be continually reminded of my own insufficiency.  I’m grateful to God that He loves me too much to allow me to persist in that delusion.

Fact: I couldn’t atone for my own sins, so Jesus went to the cross for me.

Fact: Even having recognized my own sinfulness, I couldn’t obtain spiritual life, so He provided for this by allowing me to share in His resurrection.

Fact: Having been brought from death to life, I couldn’t live the life He desires me to lead, nor would I have a hope of remaining faithful to Him, so He sent His Spirit.  (Yes, there’s more sin in my life, even with the Spirit’s help…see fact #1 for the solution to this!)

Fact: Life is a series of events, the great majority of which are completely outside of my control.  This grants me opportunities to trust God, experience His provision, sustaining power and grace, and to get to know Him better.  It’s solely by His grace that I may, on occasion, bring Him glory through my life.

Fact: Apart from His love and grace, I don’t deserve any of these blessings.  It is only because of who He is that life is truly meaningful, that mankind has dignity, that life is sacred.

Sometimes it does me good to simply stop and consider these basic truths of life.  It brings all my fears, insecurities, and frustrations into perspective and, quite honestly, brings me a real sense of joy that has nothing to do with my current circumstances.  Maybe this is what the Spirit of Christ was communicating when Paul wrote to the Philippians (Phil. 4:4-7), “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.  Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near.  Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Posted in Religious fanaticism, Israel, Religion, Morality, Morals, Social Justice, Social Injustice, Community, Politics, Humanism, Naturalism, Eurabia, False Doctrine, Spirituality, Relativism, Contemporary Christianity, Marriage, Islam, Sanctity of Life, Sex, Biblical Worldview, North Korea, Postmodernity, Postmodern Philosophy, Postmodernism, Secularism | 1 Comment »

12 November 2007 by Brian.

Calamapportunity. (If you have no idea what I’m talking about, check out the AT&T Commercial and it might make a little more sense.)

It’s been a while since I posted a Friday quote, so I figured I’d use one today.

“An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; a pessimist a calamity in every opportunity.” — Winston Churchill

Fact is, we all live in Calamapportunity and it’s up to us to determine how we’ll respond. Most importantly, will God be glorified by our approach to life? Or will we act out of fear and insecurity like those who don’t understand that there is a loving God who wants to work in our lives?

Posted in Social Injustice, Social Justice, Israel, Religious fanaticism, Quotes, Eurabia, Politics, Community, Humanism, Naturalism, Radicals, Radicalism, Contemporary Christianity, Marriage, Islam, Sanctity of Life, Biblical Worldview, North Korea, Religion, False Doctrine, Spirituality, Secularism | No Comments »

6 November 2007 by Brian.

Last Sunday our pastor preached on blind spots.  The problem with blind spots is, of course, that one isn’t aware of one’s own blind spots (hence, the name).  Of course, if those around us were willing to be perfectly honest with us, they could probably enlighten us with two or three before we knew what hit us!  In reality, most of us rarely even consider the fact that we DO have blind spots.  It’s a lot more comfortably to go through life assuming that we’re aware of all our flaws and are conscientiously working to remedy them.  Ignorance is bliss, as they say.

Wait a minute!  Ignorance is NOT bliss, biblically speaking.  The Holy Spirit leads us into truth.  Jesus challenged Pilate (John 18) with the fact that he came into the world to testify to the truth and that, “Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”  This truth co-existed perfectly with the Father, the One who “is love”.  Truth and love are perfect partners, inextricably woven together at the foundation of reality, in the person of God, Himself.

With that said, why is it that one of my greatest blind spots is my failure to express the love of God as I attempt to conform my life to His truth and to live out my relationship with God in my family and in my vocation?  I can only surmise that I’ve taken the active role in determining how to express the truth of the Word of God, rather than asking God to guide me in doing so each day.  Once again, I’m confronted with my own tendency to self-sufficiency (sin!) and I realize how desperately I need Christ to rule every moment of my day.

Back to the cross I go, thankful for the grace of God that daily covers all of my sin and makes me acceptable to Him.  I could never, on my best day, deserve the tiniest fraction of His love or acceptance.  Instead, miraculously, He chose to give it all to me and to anyone else who chooses to accept it.  What an amazing God!

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23 October 2007 by Brian.

No one ever said life would be easy.  In fact, the older I get, the more I realize just how tough it can be.  (This is coming from a guy whose father died when he was 11 years old.)  As my family has been going through some tough times lately, I’ve grown more aware and more sensitive to the tough times that those around me are experiencing.  In the process, I’ve learned a few things that might prove helpful to some of you.  I’d like to encourage any of you to share your thoughts and opinions, as well.

1. The question is not IF you will encounter difficulties, but WHEN you will do so.  I’ve learned that if you accept the hard times and you’re mentally prepared for them, they’re easier to handle.

2. When you encounter the difficulty, the best question to ask is not, “Why me?”, but “What should I learn through this?”

3. In the hard times, one can seek the path of least resistance or one can exercise the mental toughness and discipline to face the challenge moment by moment, day after day, for as long as it takes.  Those who seek the path of least resistance rarely reap the rewards of overcoming the obstacles: developing character and growing wiser through the process.  Those who determine to meet the challenge and get the victory will face the harder road and may endure lengthier suffering, but they obtain incredible rewards for their efforts.

4. Trials are our friend.  There is no better opportunity to learn just how desperately we need God,  In addition, it is in the hard times that we usually experience the deepest intimacy with God and find that His Spirit seems to fuse with our souls in a way that no other experience seems to provide.

5. Trials, when confronted by a determined faith in God, produce humility and prepare us to bring glory to God throughout our lives as we learn lessons thoroughly and in a lasting way.

6. The tough times are the best times for self-evaluation.  It is in these times that our faith is tested and we see where our trust and security truly lie.  The good news is that an initial failure can turn into a smashing success if the individual is willing to repent of misplaced security, self-sufficiency, sin, or any other attitude or action with which God may be dealing at the time.  One of the ironies of the Christian life is that true life is always found on the other side of the cross.  One must always die to his or her self-directed, self-centered desires in order to experience the incredible joy that is only found in life in relationship with God through Christ.  It is only in giving up those things we desperately cling to in hopes of finding fulfillment, that we finally find freedom and liberation in submitting ourselves to God.  This principle holds just as true for those who are believers, as those who come to Christ for the first time.

Maybe you didn’t get much out of this, but I found the process of writing it to be quite helpful!  I must admit that introspection has never been one of my strong points.  I’m much more prone to analyze people and circumstances around me than I am to spend time alone with God sorting through my own crap…of course, this is a major hindrance to my own spiritual growth, but it’s the truth.  Who knows, maybe this entire blog, the whole year’s worth of posts, has been God’s way of forcing me into some self-evaluation!  Nonetheless, it’s my prayer that God would speak to you through this, even as He’s been teaching me.  I must say, life is hard…and that’s a good thing.  I need it.

Posted in Social Injustice, Social Justice, Naturalism, Humanism, Politics, Community, Israel, Spirituality, Marriage, Islam, Contemporary Christianity, Sex, North Korea, Biblical Worldview, Sanctity of Life | 1 Comment »

3 October 2007 by Brian.

This guy has confused, “following all the rules in the Bible” with “living Biblically” (see the title of his book). Of course, God never intended that His Word be reduced to a list of “do’s and don’ts” to be obeyed all the time. In some ways, Mr. Jacobs experiment helps to illustrate this reality. On the other hand, the author came to some very unbiblical conclusions through the process of writing the book.

Jacobs did happen on truth from time to time and I found this question and answer interesting, given the self-righteous attitude of most members of our modern, liberal democracies. He was asked by Newsweek, “It’s been a little over a year since your experiment ended and you shaved your beard. How’s the life of sin?” His answer underscores the reality of man’s inescapable (outside of the redeeming grace of God through Christ) fallenness. He replied, “It’s all right. I miss my sin-free life, but I guess I was never sin free. I was able to cut down on my coveting maybe 40 percent, but I was still a coveter. Flat-screen TVs, the front yard of my friend in the suburbs, a better cell phone, higher Amazon rankings. And that’s not to mention coveting my neighbor’s wife. ”

Strangely, Jacobs seems to miss the cross and new life in Christ, altogether. He figured out that sinlessness is impossible, but seems satisfied to live with it. It’s our privilege as believers, to live out the life of Christ by the power of His Spirit, so the power of a transformed life will be evident to those around us and that they may understand what relationship with God is really meant to be. Now, THAT is a life worth living every year!

Posted in Morality, Morals, Religion, Israel, Community, Bible study, False Doctrine, Spirituality, Biblical Worldview, Contemporary Christianity, Postmodernism, Postmodern Philosophy, Postmodernity, Marriage | No Comments »

25 September 2007 by Brian.

It’s too bad the Church of Sweden isn’t vigilant on matters of more theological significance. In a “Church” where atheists have often served as priests, we certainly can’t have “foreign and sexist” customs being perpetuated! So much for tolerance and understanding in this case, huh?

Check out the article if you want to see what the fuss is about on this bride’s special day.

This scenario does offer us a chance to evaluate our own choices of where we take a stand. Are we more concerned with our own preferences and/or defending our own cultural standards? Or are we committed to understanding and applying the Biblical principals which God would have us apply within our particular cultural framework? Let’s be careful, lest we find ourselves taking a stand to defend our own cultural preferences against the onslaught of Biblical truth!

Posted in Israel, Inductive Bible study, Religion, Morality, Morals, Social Justice, Social Injustice, Homosexuality, Community, Abortion, Humanism, Naturalism, New Age Spirituality, False Doctrine, Relativism, Contemporary Christianity, Marriage, Islam, Sanctity of Life, Sex, Biblical Worldview, Spirituality, Postmodernity, Postmodern Philosophy, Postmodernism, Secularism | No Comments »

18 September 2007 by Brian.

Okay, okay…I sensationalized the headline, but I read Hebrews chapter 12 today and was blown away by just how profound, challenging, and encouraging this chapter is.

So often, we get caught up in the excitement of chapter eleven’s “heroes of the faith” and think of the awesome things they did for God.  In doing so, we usually forget two things: that we’re meant to live out the same faith in our own lives and that each of these heroes faced impossible situations and incredible trials.  The fact is that their lives were far from easy ones and their only assurance that things would turn out well for them was their faith.  As the author of Hebrews makes clear in 11:35-38, many of the faithful met with rather horrible ends in this world.  Now, on to chapter 12….

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,  2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.” (NRSV)

Verse one grabs us and diverts our attention from the fine examples of chapter 11 and forces us to apply this faith to our own lives.  As I pondered the verse, I realized that each of us has a “race marked out for us”.  Each of us has our own set of challenges, our own opportunity to exercise faith, experience God’s providing and sustaining grace, and thereby glorify Him.  Verse two redirects us once again, but this time it is to Jesus that we look.  Why?  Because he is the One who went before us, perfectly modeling the walk of faith.  Not only that, but He is the One by whose Spirit we are made increasingly holy as we walk by faith.  Chapter 11 had some great Old Testament examples to follow, but Jesus is the ultimate example to follow.  The Chapter 11 “heroes of the faith” exercised their faith imperfectly,  but served to prepare the way for Jesus, just as the Old Testament law (i.e., Judaism) could not provide salvation, but served to bring awareness of sin and to point the way to the One who would die for the sins of the world.  In doing so, Jesus dealt with sin once and for all.  He is the ultimate High Priest, the ultimate sacrifice, and the initiator of the new and perfect covenant.  That’s great stuff!

Continuing in verse two of chapter 12, Jesus’ walk of faith is explicitly spelled out for us, so there is no mistaking the type of example we are to follow.  First of all, the joy that was set before Jesus was not the opportunity to acquire great wealth, fame, or worldly power.  Instead, his joy was in expressing the love of God for his enemies (sinful mankind) and by laying down His own life, redeeming them and offering them life in relationship with the Father.  To gain this joy, He endured (a key word in the book of Hebrews) the most humiliating death which one could face, not to mention the fact that it is a  physically tortuous way to die.  In choosing to obey His heavenly Father, Jesus didn’t consider the shame of it (He IS God, Himself, after all!).  Instead, he faced the trial and passed through it to the position of honor at the right hand of the throne of God!  What an amazing savior!

The question I must ask myself, and I hope you’ll join me in asking it, is, “What shame or what trial has God asked me to face in order to glorify Him and accomplish His plans and purposes in my life?”  If I’m making my decisions based upon their impact on my own ego, my own reputation, or my own comfort, I’m probably not following the path of Christ.  I’m certainly not following His example by doing so.  Where is my focus?  Is it on the trial?  Or is it on the glory that can be brought to God as I trust Him through it and the blessing that might accrue to others as a result?

If you plan on reading further into chapter 12, be forewarned: the remainder of the chapter gets even better.  You will be challenged and blessed.  If you want to get the most out of it, read the book of Hebrews from beginning to end in one sitting.  I promise, you won’t regret it!

Posted in Social Justice, Inductive Bible study, Inductive study method, Bible study, Social Injustice, Eurabia, Community, Humanism, Naturalism, Israel, Religion, Spirituality, Biblical Worldview, Contemporary Christianity, Marriage, New Age, False Doctrine, Morality, Morals, New Age Spirituality, Sanctity of Life | No Comments »