Within the last few years there have been many movies centered on the “end of days”. Whether it is the movie “End of Days” to last years “2012”, society as a whole is interested in how the world will end. Will the world end in a nuclear war, the sun becoming a supernova, or with the return of Jesus Christ?
Due to the earthquake and subsequent tsunami off the coast of Japan, internet searches for “end of days” and “return of Christ” have increased by over 5000%. Some sites claim we are in the final days and we need to stock up on foods and items. Others make the bold assertion as to when the last day will be, whether it is by total annihilation of the world, or a specific day Jesus will return.
What is a Christian to do with this dearth of information? Should Christians run around squawking like chickens, “Repent the end is near!” Should Christians converge and huddle in their churches and homes waiting for Jesus’ return? Should Christians disregard everything and go about living their lives as they always have? The simplistic answer to those questions is no. Christians should not run around squawking like chickens, they should not huddle in their churches, nor should they disregard everything and go about living their lives as they always have done. Bob Beaty, Pastor of Zion Brethren in Christ church, summed it up best, “Christians need to continue to do the Master’s work.”
One day, Jesus stood with his disciples near a field. He pointed to the field and told his disciples that the field was ready for harvest, but there were not enough workers in it. At the same time, there was a crowd of people gathering around. The analogy being that there are many people thirsting and hungering for God’s truth, but not enough people to do the work. “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Luke 10:2 NIV)
Paul warned the Thessalonian church about becoming complacent and idle. They were content in their own salvation, but did not do anything to spread the Gospel of Christ. Idleness is not something Christians should be striving to attain. Too many Christians feel the time for Jesus to return is imminent, so they begin to become complacent in their own salvation. Regardless of the time of day, we must never stop working.
Too often Christians have become complacent. They see the “signs” of Christ’s return. They become more concerned with looking for the “signs” and not looking for the “signs” of the non-believer. God desires that all people come to a saving relationship with Him. It is His desire that all be saved, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3,4 NIV)
While Christians do need to be aware of what is going on in the world. They do not need to be focusing on the “signs” of his return, because we know he will. Christians do need to be mindful of the future, but not at the expense of the present. It is not a Christian’s responsibility to know when Jesus will return, but to be prepared, and to prepare others for when he does return.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The Tolerance Myth
Tolerance. What a unique word. I claim it is a unique word, not because it is rarely used, but unique in that the meaning is only one sided. The word is mostly used by people who disagree with what someone has to say, while they themselves are not being tolerant of others.
How many times has someone given a speech or an interview on tolerance, only to give away how intolerant they are? They use words like “open minded” and “accepting” while speaking of tolerance. Then when speaking of people who are intolerant, they use words like “close minded”, “narrow minded” and “bigoted.” Does that sound like a tolerant person?
There are two primary myths that have been perpetuated by those who preach tolerance. The first myth is that love equals tolerance. That if you claim to love someone, or even everyone, that you would be tolerant of their behavior and beliefs. That myth gets shattered once a person has children.
Imagine your two children are playing together and you are in another room. You hear a loud smack and one child starts crying. You rush into the room to see what is going on when the older child confesses, “I hit her, but you must be tolerant of my behavior because I was born this way. I was born to hit her and if you love me, you will not try to change my behavior.” Absurd, but the child would be right if you equate being tolerant with love. Yet, love states that you would want to change that illicit behavior, because it is not a good behavior. Love does not equal tolerance, but love equals intolerance.
The second myth that is being perpetuated is that Jesus was tolerant. Those who preach this point to John 8 and the account of the adulterous woman. After the accusers fled, he states, “I do not condemn you, either.” (v 11 NASB) They use that phrase to show that Jesus was tolerant of the woman and did not condemn her. That he accepted her lifestyle and did not tell her to change her life. They are partly correct. However, while he did not condemn her, he was far from tolerant. He followed that statement up with another statement, “Go. From now on sin no more.” (v 11 NASB) He specifically told her to change her behavior, from that point on, to sin no more. Jesus was being intolerant because he wanted her to change her life. To change her life for the better.
Another thing Jesus was not tolerant about was salvation. He never preached that there are multiple ways to God or that “all roads lead to Heaven.” He spoke of false teachers and false prophets that would lead people astray. He specifically said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6 NASB) There is only one way to God and that is through Jesus. That is not a very tolerant thing to say.
He was not accepting of other people’s beliefs. He did not accept the gods of the Greeks or Romans. He did not accept the gods of the Babylonians. He did not accept the god of the Ishmaelites. He told some groups that they could not claim God as their Father for their father was the devil, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44 NASB) Claiming that someone’s beliefs are wrong. That is not very tolerant.
Jesus was not very tolerant. It is Jesus’ way or no way. Jesus destroys the tolerance myth.
How many times has someone given a speech or an interview on tolerance, only to give away how intolerant they are? They use words like “open minded” and “accepting” while speaking of tolerance. Then when speaking of people who are intolerant, they use words like “close minded”, “narrow minded” and “bigoted.” Does that sound like a tolerant person?
There are two primary myths that have been perpetuated by those who preach tolerance. The first myth is that love equals tolerance. That if you claim to love someone, or even everyone, that you would be tolerant of their behavior and beliefs. That myth gets shattered once a person has children.
Imagine your two children are playing together and you are in another room. You hear a loud smack and one child starts crying. You rush into the room to see what is going on when the older child confesses, “I hit her, but you must be tolerant of my behavior because I was born this way. I was born to hit her and if you love me, you will not try to change my behavior.” Absurd, but the child would be right if you equate being tolerant with love. Yet, love states that you would want to change that illicit behavior, because it is not a good behavior. Love does not equal tolerance, but love equals intolerance.
The second myth that is being perpetuated is that Jesus was tolerant. Those who preach this point to John 8 and the account of the adulterous woman. After the accusers fled, he states, “I do not condemn you, either.” (v 11 NASB) They use that phrase to show that Jesus was tolerant of the woman and did not condemn her. That he accepted her lifestyle and did not tell her to change her life. They are partly correct. However, while he did not condemn her, he was far from tolerant. He followed that statement up with another statement, “Go. From now on sin no more.” (v 11 NASB) He specifically told her to change her behavior, from that point on, to sin no more. Jesus was being intolerant because he wanted her to change her life. To change her life for the better.
Another thing Jesus was not tolerant about was salvation. He never preached that there are multiple ways to God or that “all roads lead to Heaven.” He spoke of false teachers and false prophets that would lead people astray. He specifically said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6 NASB) There is only one way to God and that is through Jesus. That is not a very tolerant thing to say.
He was not accepting of other people’s beliefs. He did not accept the gods of the Greeks or Romans. He did not accept the gods of the Babylonians. He did not accept the god of the Ishmaelites. He told some groups that they could not claim God as their Father for their father was the devil, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44 NASB) Claiming that someone’s beliefs are wrong. That is not very tolerant.
Jesus was not very tolerant. It is Jesus’ way or no way. Jesus destroys the tolerance myth.
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Natural Enemy
In the animal kingdom, all species have a natural enemy, a predator. A natural enemy is a species that is determined to kill and destroy the other species. The most common, or at least as seen on Saturday morning cartoons, are cats to mice and dogs to cats. Another set of natural enemies are the wolf and the sheep. Then there is the well-known natural enemy to chickens: Colonel Sanders.
Each one knows what their enemy looks like. Mice know what a cat looks like. Cats know what a dog looks like. Sheep know what a wolf looks like. Chickens know to run and hide when a man in a white tuxedo and goatee approaches them with a butcher knife.
Humans also have a natural enemy. An enemy that seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. This enemy prowls around like a lion, looking for someone to devour. This enemies name is Satan.
Satan has made it his purpose to bring about the destruction of mankind. He does it primarily through enticing mankind to sin. Satan has been sinning from the beginning and wants humans to sin, “He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.” (1 John 3:8a NIV)
Satan has been described like a lion, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV) Like a lion, one of Satan’s tactics is to get the prey alone. When a lion chooses its prey to devour, it does so by trying to separate it from the herd. One of Satan’s tactics is to get someone to believe that they do not need to be around other believers. Whether it is through deceitful tactics, fear, or even ignorance of the Scriptures, Satan does not want people to be gathered together. When people are gathered together in Jesus’ name, he is with them, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20 NIV)
It is never good for anyone to be alone. God stated it from the beginning and it has been reinforced throughout the Bible. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12 NIV) Do not allow Satan to separate anyone from the group.
Another tactic that Satan uses is to deceive mankind into thinking something is not sinful or as harmful as it actually is. To an insect, the Venus Flytrap looks safe and inviting. The insect will land on it and then the plant will close and consume the insect. Satan acts the same way, appear to be harmless and safe, but thoroughly deadly. He does it by planting a sinful desire and making it seem good and pleasing, just like he did in the Garden of Eden, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Genesis 3:5,6 NIV). Satan used something that was pleasing and desirable, yet they were told by God, not to eat of the tree.
Satan is the natural enemy to mankind. Learn to recognize who he is and what he does, much like the chickens that have recognized Colonel Sanders.
Each one knows what their enemy looks like. Mice know what a cat looks like. Cats know what a dog looks like. Sheep know what a wolf looks like. Chickens know to run and hide when a man in a white tuxedo and goatee approaches them with a butcher knife.
Humans also have a natural enemy. An enemy that seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. This enemy prowls around like a lion, looking for someone to devour. This enemies name is Satan.
Satan has made it his purpose to bring about the destruction of mankind. He does it primarily through enticing mankind to sin. Satan has been sinning from the beginning and wants humans to sin, “He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.” (1 John 3:8a NIV)
Satan has been described like a lion, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV) Like a lion, one of Satan’s tactics is to get the prey alone. When a lion chooses its prey to devour, it does so by trying to separate it from the herd. One of Satan’s tactics is to get someone to believe that they do not need to be around other believers. Whether it is through deceitful tactics, fear, or even ignorance of the Scriptures, Satan does not want people to be gathered together. When people are gathered together in Jesus’ name, he is with them, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20 NIV)
It is never good for anyone to be alone. God stated it from the beginning and it has been reinforced throughout the Bible. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12 NIV) Do not allow Satan to separate anyone from the group.
Another tactic that Satan uses is to deceive mankind into thinking something is not sinful or as harmful as it actually is. To an insect, the Venus Flytrap looks safe and inviting. The insect will land on it and then the plant will close and consume the insect. Satan acts the same way, appear to be harmless and safe, but thoroughly deadly. He does it by planting a sinful desire and making it seem good and pleasing, just like he did in the Garden of Eden, “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” (Genesis 3:5,6 NIV). Satan used something that was pleasing and desirable, yet they were told by God, not to eat of the tree.
Satan is the natural enemy to mankind. Learn to recognize who he is and what he does, much like the chickens that have recognized Colonel Sanders.
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