I'm back! Whew, what a trip. I'll have to share some of it with you later, but for now, I'd like to continue on with what I've been reading in 1 John. Besides, sometimes it takes us a while to process everything and this trip was certainly one of those...
One of the first verses that always pops out to me when reading 1 John 3 is verse 13. "Do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you." This seems to be such a harsh statement, but so true. If we are following Christ fully there are going to be many who hate us. Light annoys the darkness. It reminds me of what Jesus says in John 15:18-20. "If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you: 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me. they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours."
They problem comes in when we realize our natural tendency is to try and be liked by all. We don't want to be hated, so we try to do things to smooth it over and be popular with the world. I just heard of a church that passed out free beer on Father's Day in order to entice men to come to church. While I can see how that did get some people into a church who may have never gone before, I wonder what the point was. Now these people have a worldly expectation of the church which has nothing to do with salvation. I probably preached to Gospel, but were they sober enough to hear it? What about people who were alcoholics, or had the tendency? My point is that so many churches try to please the people, they loose creditability and the point of the Gospel. To be blunt, they are not "hated" enough.
Don't get me wrong - we don't need to try and be hated. Fun is allowed and great! We just need to make sure the world doesn't effect us too greatly. Don't be a heathen nor a Pharisee. Be a follower of Christ. Your attendance may dwindle and you will not be the most popular, but at least you will hear, "...Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master's joy!" Matthew 25:23
Friday, June 26, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Where Dreams Come True
I'm going to have to interrupt this blog series for a few days. Thanks for your indulgence! There are two reasons: The first and biggest is that I am in Florida and am helping my mother move. I wrote as many blogs in advance as possible and hoped to have a few moments to write a few more. I can be so silly..... Honestly, I hope to have something posted for the next few days, but if I don't, just know I am drowning in a sea of boxes and interstates and will have much to write about when I get back.
The other reason I'm writing on something different is I really wanted to tell you about something that happened the other day. My mother, mother-in-law, and I took Lauren and Elijah to the Magic Kingdom on Wednesday. They were SO excited. We had really talked about it and built it up, so the kids were in a frenzy by the time we were driving there. The first funny thing that happened was, as we were finally getting into the parking lot Elijah looked around and said, "This place doesn't look that fun!" We all laughed and assured him that the best was yet to come.
We had a great day, though it was very hot. They did very well in the heat and LONG lines, and were having a great time. By the end of the day we were exhausted. We sat there watching the parade at the end, but after about ten minutes Elijah looked up at me and said, "They said this was the place where dreams come true. But they were wrong." Then he turned back to watching the parade again in silence.
WHAT? I started laughing and after it was done, and we were actually sitting for a few minutes, asked him what he meant. Didn't he have a good time? He told me he had a great time and didn't really know what he had expected to happen.
I started thinking, isn't that what we are like when we become Christians, or join a new church? We think that all of our dreams are now going to come true and we will live in a perpetual state of joy. But then what we dreamed might happened, even if we couldn't quite put it in words, doesn't happen and we feel disappointed. It's always going to happen though. This is not heaven nor the new earth. The point of it is, do we keep park hopping trying to find the dream come true, or do we stick it out and enjoy what we can and DO as much as we can.
Don't get me wrong. I love the park hoppers pass, but it just doesn't work with a church body and I think too many people have gotten that confused. There are also times when the park closes and we are called for a "night of rest" then to a new park/church. That's OK too, as long as it's God's calling and not our own wish-washy-ness.
What do you have for today? A day pass or have you been park hopping? Dreams don't come true- Not till we get to heaven, so let's enjoy what were are given until that time.
The other reason I'm writing on something different is I really wanted to tell you about something that happened the other day. My mother, mother-in-law, and I took Lauren and Elijah to the Magic Kingdom on Wednesday. They were SO excited. We had really talked about it and built it up, so the kids were in a frenzy by the time we were driving there. The first funny thing that happened was, as we were finally getting into the parking lot Elijah looked around and said, "This place doesn't look that fun!" We all laughed and assured him that the best was yet to come.
We had a great day, though it was very hot. They did very well in the heat and LONG lines, and were having a great time. By the end of the day we were exhausted. We sat there watching the parade at the end, but after about ten minutes Elijah looked up at me and said, "They said this was the place where dreams come true. But they were wrong." Then he turned back to watching the parade again in silence.
WHAT? I started laughing and after it was done, and we were actually sitting for a few minutes, asked him what he meant. Didn't he have a good time? He told me he had a great time and didn't really know what he had expected to happen.
I started thinking, isn't that what we are like when we become Christians, or join a new church? We think that all of our dreams are now going to come true and we will live in a perpetual state of joy. But then what we dreamed might happened, even if we couldn't quite put it in words, doesn't happen and we feel disappointed. It's always going to happen though. This is not heaven nor the new earth. The point of it is, do we keep park hopping trying to find the dream come true, or do we stick it out and enjoy what we can and DO as much as we can.
Don't get me wrong. I love the park hoppers pass, but it just doesn't work with a church body and I think too many people have gotten that confused. There are also times when the park closes and we are called for a "night of rest" then to a new park/church. That's OK too, as long as it's God's calling and not our own wish-washy-ness.
What do you have for today? A day pass or have you been park hopping? Dreams don't come true- Not till we get to heaven, so let's enjoy what were are given until that time.
Monday, June 22, 2009
They Went Out
OK, we don't get too much further along in 1 John today.
1 John 2:18-19.
“Children, it is the last hour. As you have heard, 'Antichrist is coming,' even now many antichrists have come. We know from this that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be clear that none of them belonged to us.”
This is such a sad Scripture. I think any of us who have been in church for a long period of time have experienced some example of this. It's that person, who realizes how much they need the Lord, is baptized and befriended by many. They often are completely on fire for the Lord. Then, they miss a few services and everyone calls to encourage them. They come back in full force only to fall away again and again. After a time you never see them and they have asked the church to stop calling. I think this is but one example of what John was talking about. Another example are those who feed on the misery and discention of a church body. They go from church to church looking for people to side with and tear apart.
Whatever the case, we need to treat these people, not as brothers and sisters in Christ when we see them again, but as the lost. This actually affords them an extra measure of grace from us, because they do not know, or understand, what they are doing. (Luke 23:34)
As for THE Antichrist, I heard an interesting theory from Beth Moore in her study on Daniel. We understand that God is all-knowing, but we forget that Satan is not. Jesus Himself said, “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows – neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son – except the Father only.” (Matthew 24:36) So, Satan has had to groom an antichrist in every generation to be ready. Throughout the last 2000 years, people have pointed to certain figures and claimed them as the Antichrist, and I believe most of them would have been right, if that had been the season the Father had chosen. Interesting, isn't it? Don't you think Satan is getting tired of all his hard work? (I have to say, I get some satisfaction from that thought.)
This post was originally suppose to show up on Saturday, and the one that finally came up yesterday was scheduled for Friday. I have NO idea what happened. Sorry for the few days of silence, but it has been a little rough. As you get some free time, reflect on what we have looked at in the first two chapters of 1 John, and I'll start in on chapter 3 later.
Let me leave you, though, with the last few verses in 1 John 2...
1John 2:27-29.
“The anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you don't need anyone to teach you. Instead, His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie; just as it has taught you, remain in Him. So now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears we may have boldness and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know this as well: everyone who does what is right had been born of Him.”
1 John 2:18-19.
“Children, it is the last hour. As you have heard, 'Antichrist is coming,' even now many antichrists have come. We know from this that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be clear that none of them belonged to us.”
This is such a sad Scripture. I think any of us who have been in church for a long period of time have experienced some example of this. It's that person, who realizes how much they need the Lord, is baptized and befriended by many. They often are completely on fire for the Lord. Then, they miss a few services and everyone calls to encourage them. They come back in full force only to fall away again and again. After a time you never see them and they have asked the church to stop calling. I think this is but one example of what John was talking about. Another example are those who feed on the misery and discention of a church body. They go from church to church looking for people to side with and tear apart.
Whatever the case, we need to treat these people, not as brothers and sisters in Christ when we see them again, but as the lost. This actually affords them an extra measure of grace from us, because they do not know, or understand, what they are doing. (Luke 23:34)
As for THE Antichrist, I heard an interesting theory from Beth Moore in her study on Daniel. We understand that God is all-knowing, but we forget that Satan is not. Jesus Himself said, “Now concerning that day and hour no one knows – neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son – except the Father only.” (Matthew 24:36) So, Satan has had to groom an antichrist in every generation to be ready. Throughout the last 2000 years, people have pointed to certain figures and claimed them as the Antichrist, and I believe most of them would have been right, if that had been the season the Father had chosen. Interesting, isn't it? Don't you think Satan is getting tired of all his hard work? (I have to say, I get some satisfaction from that thought.)
This post was originally suppose to show up on Saturday, and the one that finally came up yesterday was scheduled for Friday. I have NO idea what happened. Sorry for the few days of silence, but it has been a little rough. As you get some free time, reflect on what we have looked at in the first two chapters of 1 John, and I'll start in on chapter 3 later.
Let me leave you, though, with the last few verses in 1 John 2...
1John 2:27-29.
“The anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you don't need anyone to teach you. Instead, His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie; just as it has taught you, remain in Him. So now, little children, remain in Him, so that when He appears we may have boldness and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know this as well: everyone who does what is right had been born of Him.”
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