"Welcome To Our World"

By Chris Rice

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting

Welcome Holy Child
Welcome Holy Child

Hope that you don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long-awaited Holy Stranger
Make Yourself at home
Please make Yourself at home
Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence

Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born
So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy

Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

 

 

Welcome To Our World is among my favorite Christmas' Reason songs.  I have it downloaded on my iPod.  When it begins my attention is arrested.  Such a simple song with simple lyrics, but they catch my breath, and steal tears from my eyes.  I think, "What a foolish God to send his beloved Son; all his wealth into the world which hates him!"  A baby!  God sends a fragile, helpless, human baby.  We could understand if God sent a mighty Son, clothed in celestial armor, flanked by legions upon legions of heaven's warrior angels.  But a baby?!?!

Chris Rice says of his song:

"It deals with the reality that God invaded our planet and became one of us, which is just astounding to me. I wrote about God coming to our world in a naïve way, knowing that it's not ours anyway, it's His. The thoughts that went through my head were about how tiny He was and how He came into the world just like the rest of us do. How much did He know at that point? When He was human flesh, was He aware at all that He was really God, or did He just accept all the limitations and start from scratch? I thought of that progression, and about the fact that He took on what He did so that we would be able to find God and be found by God."

God doesn't see the way we see, for God to send his salvation through a mere baby is what makes sense.  God doesn't send a super human.  God sends Jesus as clothed like mere humans.  All of us are merely human.  We have literature, comic books, movies, music, games, all kinds of things devoted to super heroes.  But for all our delusions of grandeur we are, all of us, merely human.  God, as odd as it must seem, foolish even, desires to work with what he is given.  So Father sends all his wealth; his very heart into the skin of a mere human being.  And God doesn't just send Jesus as any human.  Jesus as a human is the weakest and the worst. 

 

 

Who has believed our message
    and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
    and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
    nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Isaiah 53:1-3

 

This, God tells us, centuries before, he sends us Jesus.  This savior is, well...how shall we say it?  Underwhelming.  Not only is Jesus a mere human, he's a human none of us would pick first for the football team, the debate team, the lead of the school play, the Homecoming king, or senior class president.  Today we'd say of Jesus, "Looks like God scraped the bottom of the barrel."  God sends us what is weak, foolish, ugly, and worthless.  God doesn't send us what we think we need, he sends us his Son in the image and likeness of what we truly are.  God doesn't accommodate what we most want to be, he meets us exactly where we are.  God is absolutely truthful about humanity with how he presents his Son of Man.  Jesus is the savior of the world, but as a man he is the least of men. 

Why does the Almighty present us the least of men?  We think of Jesus sacrifice upon a Roman cross for the sins of the world, but Jesus' whole life is a sacrifice.  The prefect is in a human wrapper even the broken, sinful, dying race of man look down upon him.  The perfect is forced to endure all that even the worst despise.  The cross for Jesus is not something which merely ends his life, it is the whole of his life experience.  There is a method to God's seeming madness.  God's plan is to take the weakness of all humanity coupled with the almighty power of his Holy Spirit.  This is why Jesus comes as he does, so that the very least of us humans can, when made new born by, filled with, indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit live and serve God in the image and likeness of Jesus.  In Christ we are not mere humans with a new coat of paint, or cleaned up with spiritual Clorox bleach.  In Christ we are made completely new in spirit; born literally of God's own Spirit.  In us God places a great treasure in jars of clay, which is not of human kind.

the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

 

to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
    and to enable us to serve him without fear
 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

 

Luke 1:73-75

 

 

 

Its the last last part of Rice's song which always leads me to tears...

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born
So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy

Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

 

Yes LORD, welcome into our broken flesh, welcome to being the least, welcome to ugly, welcome to disdain, welcome to a scourge, and welcome to nails on an old rugged cross.  Perfect Son of God, welcome to our world... 

...And Thank you for overcoming our world! 

 

Jesus, You are Christmas' Reason!

 

 

Alright http://lkjslain.xanga.com/ Lisa, here tis!!

 

Your Xanga name and meaning-  It comes from 1 Corinthians 6:11a, "And such were some of you."  The rest of the verse speaks of what "such were..." becomes, and what "such were..." becomes is "such are you in Christ."   

How long you've been here- Started my first account November 15, 2005.  I've had more than a dozen handles since that first one.  And I've left Xanga for as long as 9 months, so in all I've been on Xanga probably 5 years out of the 7 I've actually been around.

Do you have more than one account-  In the past I've had more than one at a time, but I'm not planning on doing that again.  Too much work.

How many times have you changed your name- More than a dozen.

Name and tag 10 people that keep you here and why, not just bloggers that you like to read/etc, but people who really and truly MEAN something to you (no, it doesn't have to be limited to 10, but let's start there). Tell us what they've done for you, how they've inspired you, how they've been a friend/cheered you up, say something nice about them.- 

1.  http://trunthepaige.xanga.com/: I often disagree with Paige, but I know her heart is right with God.  I think she's a bit too political, but then I think many of my fellow Christians are.  She reaches out to young people and allows God to love them through her.  Criticize Paige as you like, but I love her to bits!  She's one of my favorite little sisters in Christ. 

2.  http://bookmark61.xanga.com/ :  Brett is a sensitive and sensible man, and those two traits rarely go hand in hand.  He and St.Vi reach out to the elderly.  Don't speak evil of those who reach to the needy, for God himself defends the needy an those who care for them.  Brett always has wise insights, and I always look forward to what he has to say.  He is funny, whimsical, kind, loving, inquisitive, and devoted.   His is always one of my favorite blogs.

3. @GreekPhysique:   John is also a very sensitive Christian man.  He also has wise insights and is very sensible.  John is a kind, loving, serving, giving, faithful, God loving man.  I think the only reason John hasn't been snapped up by some woman is he doesn't yet understand what an amazing man he truly is.  I pray God shows John the great wealth and gift he's made him, and that he soon finds a wonderful Christian woman.  They'll have the cutest kids ever, don't you think??

4.  naphtali_deer:  Karen is a true Xanga gem.  She actually writes longer posts than I do, but she is filled with godly wisdom and insight.   One would be most wise to hear and heed her counsel.  When God calls her to pastor a church I may well have to join.  For Karen I can overlook the Reformed soteriology.  Whether I agree with her on everything or not, I know she has a heart for God, and that is what truly matters.  God can correct anything we have wrong, but without a heart for God there is nothing to be done.  Karen is willing to confront, when I'm wrong, and for that alone she is a great and treasured sister in Christ.  "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of enemies are deceitful."  Proverbs something-something.

5. @Vangelicmonk:  Ted, doesn't post very often.  It took me a long time to understand Ted, but once I did I find him to be fascinating.  He is a very mission minded young man, and for that alone he is worthy.  I miss him, and wish he'd post something.

6.  http://lkjslain.xanga.com/:  Lisa's new to my subscriptions list.  She has some fascinating insights, and her comments are always thought provoking.  She's among the most interesting of the Xangans I subscribe to right now.  I must confess she's a bit of a puzzle at times and I think she's maybe a bit to reliant upon her feelings, but I do believe she has a good heart, and she means very well indeed.   I'm not sure where exactly she is spiritually, but I am not God so anything I think about it is of little importance.  I sometimes get the sense she is her own worst enemy, and that God will lead her out of her reliance upon her own feelings.  She's most definitely an NF temperament type, like me, (YOU POOR CHILD!!) and so I understand the over reliance on one's feelings.  God save us all from our feelings ruling us!!!  Lisa, is a dear, and I'm glad she's on Xanga.

7.  http://markdohle.revelife.com/:Mark is another new one for me.  He is a brother from the Roman Catholic Church, and I like his insights very much.  I'm not one who bashes Roman Catholics, though I do always offer the same caveat:  The Catholic Church brings too much baggage, and some of it actually hinders people from getting to Christ.   When I need to defend the Roman Catholic Church I can always point to Mark and say, "See, the real deal!"  God is most certainly at work in and through people in the Roman Catholic Church, and I'm blessed greatly to be able to read what Mark writes.   I believe Mark is a true brother in Christ.  He's a gentle soul, and God knows I need more from gentle souls.

8. @jmallory and @myareoplane: Jimmy and Tesia Mallory are ministers serving in the United Methodist Church.  Agree or not I appreciate Jimmy's insights, and his desire to pursue Christ's call to peace making, and personal relationship with the living God and his people.   Tesia is new for me, but I look forward to learning what God will say through her. 

9.  @Firetyger, @Blonde_Apocalypse, and @ShamelesslyRed: Heidi, Barbara, and Kelley.  They are not the same, in fact in many ways they are quite different.  They've all had some incredible challenges that have stared them down, but they have come through.   They are incredibly conservative, politically savvy and astute, while at the same time not selling out their own intellects.  Again I don't always agree with these three remarkable women, but I must say they have earned my respect.  They are hard working, trustworthy, faithful, big hearted gals.  When I think of great American women I honestly think of these three very different women.  I believe they are aware of one another, and I hope none of you will be angry with me for putting all three of you together, but I think you three would be one heck of an awesome coffee klatch.  Maybe if you ever decide to get together for coffee, maybe you'd invite a male or two to join in, and maybe I'd be one of those lucky fellows to be included.  I think these three women might be able to work out  the solutions America really needs.  

10.  @galadrielspitcher :  Simply put:  She's hilarious.  Never a dull moment.  I get tickled every time I read her site. 

If you ever leave, will you say goodbye first-  I always have before, why should the next time be any different?

Do you have any xanga crushes- I've honestly never had one of those.  I'm not saying I'm above such things, but I simply can't get too excited by even a good profile pic.  I don't want to interact via the web with someone, and so I think I have a bit of a mental block against it.  I see no potential so why carry it any further than surface level?  I'm not saying I don't engage at a deep level with people here, because I do, but the intimacy of romantic love is one I'm not willing to accept with a person I can't sit face to face with and walk with in the real world.

Are there people on xanga that you actively avoid- Of course, I don't like the evangelical atheist trolls or activists of nearly every stripe.

Do you troll- I have been guilty of it in the past.  It isn't effective and life is too short to have to keep that much rottenness going.

(if yes) Are you good at it- I'd have to say I'm an abysmal failure at it, and I'm okay with that.

Has the community been there for you in times of trouble/pain-  Yes, and I've been surprised by it.  I didn't expect to experience the sense of support I got.  I don't put much stock in cyber relationships, so it was a pleasant shock.

 

 

 

"Be a pastor..."

 

That was all he said.  It was silly really.  I've known for over 30 years God would call me to ministry.  Over 22 years ago he actually called me, but God has never once used the word 'pastor'.    When God speaks there is no emotional hype, no grandiose language, nothing but simple and short statements, like, "be a pastor."   When God speaks he does take my total attention.  It is like every fiber of my person and being holds still and leans toward this God who speaks in thoughts not vocal sounds.  It is funny I have never heard the voice of God, and yet I have absolutely no doubt, that when I do here it, audibly, I will know it as I know the voice of my mother. 

God speaks, I respond, "Okay" is usually the response I give.  Nothing verbally grandiose comes from me either.  God is glib, so I am glib in response.  But what does Pastor Lonnie look like, do you suppose?   The thought of God actually calling me to a pastorate used to scare me almost to death.  When I was 18 or 19 I actually thought of committing suicide to escape "the call" to pastor.  God didn't call me in that season of my life, but I knew the call was there, like an axe hanging over my head.  I have always known I can NEVER, be the kind of leader who is like the CEO of a company, or like a military leader, shouting orders.  I tell you it is absolutely impossible for me to be like the leadership, even the good leadership, I've had in churches.  I can't be the go to guy.  I have long said, "The day I am made senior pastor will be the last day there is a senior pastor."   In order to lead I will need at least 8 people to lead with me, and I include women when I speak of people being fellow leaders.  That in and of itself would get me kicked out of most churches I've attended.  Wherever I pastor I may not be a pastor for long.  I doubt anyone would want me to pastor for very long.  We'd start with a year long discipleship class, and everyone would attend.  I'm not talking about teaching everyone the "Lonnie" way of doing business.  I'd blow my brains out with a large caliber bullet before I'd allow anyone to do things my way.  The worst nightmare for me is someone who wants to be like me.   I want everyone to be like Christ, and I am most certainly not Jesus Christ.  I believe God has an excellent plan and way of doing things.  No one needs my way of doing things, not even me.  

I don't know what God's purpose would be for a church.  We'd find that out as the Holy Spirit leads the 8 or 9 of us, as he sees fit.  Would there be conflict??  Yes!  I'm sure it could be quite contentious conflict, if everyone of my fellow leaders are as passionate as I am.   I can't begin to imagine we'd get anything done, but what fun all of the shouting will be!!!   God would get us in line, humbled, bowed down to the floor on our faces repenting!!  Oh what a wonderful group of pastors to be among, that would be!!

Among the first questions we'd ask is, "Where are the homeless and the hated?!"  "Where are the widow and the orphan?!" "Where is the hooker and the homosexual!?"   "Come, Come hookers!!  God loves you and never intended for men to use you!!  Hooker God loves you as his little daughter and desires for you to come to him to be loved and not used by any man ever again!!   Come now and leave your lives of being used and abused!!"   All the good Christian folks would be sitting right next to the drunks, the hookers, the drug addicted!!  Oh what a great laugh to see all the good Christian folks squirming around in their seats.   Oh, but God will be honored and praised, as he overcomes the sins of the saints.  God has to overcome us saints first, before he can work through us to overcome the sinners.  What a ridiculous spectacle we would be to the world and the churches around us.  How foolish and silly everyone would accuse us of being!!

What a hilarious thought, that God would call me to pastor!!  God is surely a mad sort of fellow to call me!!  MAD LOVE!  That is what God has.  A mad crazy love that overcomes the worthlessness, the ugliness, the hatefulness, the pure evil of humans!!!   This is the God who calls me to pastor.  This is the mad God who says, "Here is an old ex-queer for you!!  Here is proof I am a mad God with a crazy love!!!  Here, see what foolishness the true God shows, for he sends an utterly useless, unloved, sexually immoral man to lead saints... He has poured out his perfect and highly valued Son for such a worthless sot, and now calls him to lead!!!"  HE IS A MAD GOD WITH CRAZY LOVE!!!!

I LIKE IT!!! 

 

 

 

Dead on target

 

 

 

 

Yes, of course, free will is a key idea of Arminian theology, and prevenient grace as the source of free will with regard to a person’s acceptance of the gospel (and anything truly, spiritually good they accomplish). But free will is for the sake of God’s character. Arminians, at least evangelical Arminians, do not believe in free will for its own sake or in any humanist way. We believe in the “freed will” (freed by grace) because we believe in God’s relational goodness (stopping far short of universalism).   (LINK)

 

I'll never be able to say it better than this.  The idea that classical/evangelical Arminians are Semi-Pelagian is absolute and utter hogwash!  Any theologian who levels an accusation of Semi-/Pelagianism at Ariminians is a baldfaced liar.  I recently took this up with my own pastor, because I was concerened he may be leaning a little too close to Pelagianism.  Turns out there was no worry.   And just so you know... I believe Open Theists are mistaken.

 

 

 

OK...Its really the blog of some other Christian guy who made me think...

 

Somewhere overnight or this morning the eschatology of American Christians may become clear. If a Republican wins and the Christian becomes delirious or confident that the Golden Days are about to arrive, that Christian has an eschatology of politics. Or, alternatively, if a Democrat wins and the Christian becomes delirious or confident that the Golden Days are about to arrive, that Christian too has an eschatology of politics. Or, we could turn each around, if a more Democrat oriented Christian becomes depressed and hopeless because a Repub wins, or if a Republican oriented Christian becomes depressed or hopeless because a Dem wins, those Christians are caught in an empire-shaped eschatology of politics.  (LINK)

~ Jesus Creed

Don't know if you'll agree, but I don't really care.  I think this guy has got hold of something I would hope every Christian would sit down and consider.  Seriously how long will God's people sit around and allow every political wave knock you about, and yet do nothing for God's eternal kingdom?   How do we continue calling ourselves believers in Jesus of Nazareth when all we do is worry about our own right now; temporal time as an American, but show so little interest in the eternal future of people God hung his own Son on a cross to free them for eternity???   How does any Christian honestly believe they will escape the judgment of God when all they want to do is serve their own agenda to have a nice place in the here and now, but care little or nothing about the future of a lost world.   Life as an American is the worst hell any Christian will have to endure.   The lost have nothing more to look forward to in the future, the best a lost world gets is what I call the "worst". 

 

 

 

 

 

America's slavery, the Church's opportunity

 

 

 The New Colossus

By Emma Lazarus, 1883

 

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

~ The Statue of Liberty Poem

 

 

"What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ."

~The Holy Spirit through St. Paul

 

The Nanny State is at it again!  This time it's LSU which used a picture of a well known group of LSU fans called "The Painted Posse".   The group paint their faces and bare trunks for LSU games.

 

"In reproducing the photo for a campuswide email, LSU made the decision to airbrush out the crosses on the students' chests. See, The Painted Posse is a group of Christian-centered Tiger fans, and, well, someone somewhere inside LSU decided not to mix football and religion. (Which is a bit surprising, considering that in the SEC, football IS religion.)"  (LINK)

 

You may not be able to see it, but on their left shoulders the guys have crosses painted there

 

Someone at LSU airbrushed the crosses out of the photo before using in an LSU email.

 

"The school, in a statement, indicated that it was not trying to censor any views, but rather to avoid the appearance of endorsing one. "We don't want to imply we are making any religious or political statements, so we air-brushed it out," the school said in a statement to Fox News. "Only one of the students, who didn't appreciate it, actually contacted us about it. So next time, we'll just choose a different photo."

 

Bad LSU censors!!  Someone call the Supreme Court!  Someone call Glenn Beck!  Someone call Jerry Falwell!   Oh, wait, Jerry Falwell is dead...er...em...okay, some one call Pat Robertson.  Robertson is only dead from the neck up.   Wow what will we do when Glenn Beck and the conservatives on the Supreme Court are dead??  YIKES!!   Oh I know there will always be some one who will step up to take their places.   There will always be someone who will take up the never ending culture war...  There is simply too much at stake here to stand idly by doing nothing.   So! "Once more unto the breach, dear friends!  ONCE MORE;" 

 

"Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive."

~ C.S. Lewis

I've always liked that quote.  But what Lewis says here is a double edged sword.  Is it right to force a non-Christian nation to accept the constraints of Christianity?  Frankly, the argument Christians have every right to impose, what they view as righteous laws, on others has largely been based on the claim the founding fathers meant to found a Christian nation.   Since the founders meant to create a nation built on the bedrock of Judeo-Christian beliefs it's not merely a strongly heartfelt position held, but an inalienable right.  "...Christians have the right to rule their own country," as Jerry Falwell put it.  The first major problem with this belief is Christ is a king, and he has a kingdom he tells us plainly is not of this world.   Of course the argument then shifts from one of the intent of creating a Christian nation to now speaking of a nation founded upon Christian principles.   A Christian nation and a nation founded upon Judeo-Christian principles are vastly different things.   The Christian nation is a kingdom ruled by Christ Jesus, and it is not of this world.  A nation following certain principles doesn't require Christ at all.  In fact a nation founded upon Judeo-Christian principles doesn't follow a Christ centered model.  The model for a nation built upon  Judeo-Christian principles follows more a Moses centered model of ruling.  A nation is given a set of standards which are codified into legal responsibilities for the nation's citizens.   The law of Moses, if broken, carried the most dire of punishments, death and/or being cut off from among the people; what we'd call today 'excommunication'.   Forcing compliance works with the Moses model, but it doesn't work with the Jesus model.   Jesus makes it clear that the keeping of laws is no way to become a citizen in his kingdom.

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.  Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 

"The one who sins is a slave..."  The religious leaders listening to Jesus teach this wouldn't have had problem with what Jesus taught.  After all, Jesus is teaching what they themselves believe.   At that time one of the most common forms of slavery was basically indentured servitude.  A person who could not support himself could find someone who would care for his needs, and train him in a useful trade.   The slave would then work off the debt, owed to his master, and upon completion of the service would be freed from slavery.  This kind of slavery was the Roman world's version of welfare.  We all know, none of us is perfect, even the religious leaders knew they weren't perfect, but they thought their efforts to keep the Mosaic laws and their continuous reaching for perfection in practice kept them in good stead with God.   Jesus turns the tables on them when he goes onto say, "...Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever."  OUCH!  Jesus tells them, "you don't get it."  "Your relationship to Abraham doesn't make you a son in God's house."  Even if an indentured slave could pay the full monetary worth of his slavery, or even a 100 times his indebtedness, he would not be a member of the family.  Adoption is the only way for a slave to become a part of the family he served as slave.   It doesn't matter how hard the religious leaders worked to pay off their sin debt, they would always have the status of "not family."   Paying one's debt to God by keeping laws changes nothing for sin's slaves.   

No matter the intent of the religious leaders of his day, they could do nothing about their status as slaves.  All members of Christ's kingdom are adopted sons/daughters from among a world enslaved to sin.  Christianity isn't a national treasure, Christianity is the adoption by God into his family.  God achieves this adoption by paying off the slaves debt by enslaving his only Son to a Roman cross and finally to the grave.   God then offers adoption, through his resurrected Son, into his eternal family.   Christianity isn't something any human founder or citizen, of any nation in the world, can bestow.  Christianity (membership in God's family) is God's alone to bestow.   

In this election season, when we pick our leaders, vote your conscience, but do not say, in any part of your being, "I am doing this because this is a Christian nation, and we need to take it back for Christ."   If Christ wanted this nation he'd have already taken it. 

 

"Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

 

So what's a Christian to do about this "Nanny State"?   There are so many burdens upon the state, and the children it cares for, like slavery to sin, so extend a little grace.  Stop tying up heavy loads which you drop on men's shoulders, you know religious rules and laws against, say gay marriage, though you will not lift a finger to help them find freedom in Christ.  Keeping laws against gay marriage or even abortion won't change the status of slaves.  Remember you are not of this world, just as Christ is not of this world.  Remember that you are adopted Children of the living God, and the freedom of Christ can't be taken away, even by the most powerful "Nanny State" on the earth.  Seek first to serve God's kingdom and purposes, and then he can show you how best to engage a world enslaved to sin, and the body politic (also enslaved to sin, by the way).

Good, but not God's statute of liberty

 

 

God's statute of liberty: Perfect!

 

 

 

 

 

He Does...

 

 

But You Might Not Like It

 

 "The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”

 

That photo is of a production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting For Godot.  Of all the absurdest plays it is my favorite.  One of my college professors, who loved Beckett, and especially Godot, believed the plays is about waiting for God.  Beckett may well have argued against that interpretation, but I've always believed the same about the play.  When I think about the late Mother Theresa, and the revelation that she had not heard from God in decades I always think about Waiting For Godot.   The story is about two hobos who sit waiting under this barren tree.  The waiting never ends, because the one they wait for never comes.   It is indeed a very absurd play, but when I look at American Christianity I see the same kind of set up for failure, and the absurdity which results from badly misplaced faith I see in Waiting For Godot.  I don't believe God wasn't speaking to Mother Theresa, I've always suspected she may not have known how very subtle God's way of speaking can be.  

Yes, God still speaks to me.  That post I wrote, "Why I Hate God's Call on My Life,"  (LINK) was as much for God as it was for anyone.  I call it, "having a Habakkuk conversation."  Habakkuk, was a lesser prophet, who spoke at a very difficult time for Judah.  Habakkuk could not understand how God could allow a much more evil people group, the Babylonians (specifically the Chaldeans) to humble God's people the Judeans.  Eventually those Babylonians would conquer the kingdom of Judah, and carry off the majority of the Judeans, to resettle them in other parts of the Babylonian Empire.  Habakkuk brings his complaints (and those of the Jews) to God.  God doesn't fully answer Habakkuk, at least not the way Habakkuk expected.  Still in the end Habakkuk decided to keep trusting God.   For me, (and I'll always wonder if Habakkuk didn't feel the same way) it isn't a matter of getting God to answer me the way I think he should.  I toss out a problem I'm having, which means, A PROBLEM I'M HAVING WITH GOD'S CALL ON MY LIFE, and God gives me whatever he wants me to have.  God never gives me the answer I expect or think I deserve or even need.  Still God has addressed the matter, and for me that is enough.  The fact God even address the problem I'm having is enough for me.  It is incredible that he condescends to actually answer me at all.  God simply doesn't think the way we humans think.   

Habakkuk 2:2

"I will stand my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to his complaint."

 

Everyone, please, cool your jets.  I never like what God wants me to do.   That doesn't mean I won't do what God has called me to do.  I'm born again; born of God's Spirit; being conformed by God's Spirit into the likeness and image of Christ.  

 

John 5:19

"Jesus gave them this answer: "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees
 his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does."

 

Jesus tells us he can only do what he sees his Father doing...  Well kids, like it or not that is part of being conformed to the image and likeness of Christ.   If you are born again then it is as simple and easy as breathing.  There is nothing in the Bible which says anyone has to love the call, God places on them.   What I'm talking about is called "submission".  Submission is not agreement, submission is doing what God wants us to do, because God wants us to do it.   I know Christians in America think this is somehow optional, but I do not now, nor have I ever seen submission as optional.  I can hold off submission for awhile, but the cost is so high, it isn't worth the expense to life and limb.  Submission has never been a question for me, though for some of you it is clear YOU THINK I think that way. 

Now, since writing that "Why I Hate God's Call on My Life" post, would you like to know how God has spoken to me?  I thought you might!!

 

God says:  "I AM HERE.  I AM PRESENT TO CARE FOR YOU.  CAN REACH YOU, ANYTIME, ANYPLACE, THROUGH THOSE I'VE GIVEN YOU WHO LOVE ME AND YOU!"

 

So now...Do you suppose God called my cell phone?  No, God didn't speak to me in an audible voice.  Did God speak to me directly through the words in the Bible?  No, God didn't speak specifically through the Bible.   The message above is a personal and subjective message.  No passage of Scripture is meant to be understood subjectively.  God didn't hide a personal message to Lonnie in the Bible, and there isn't one in the Bible for any one person.   So how did God speak to me?   God spoke through those he has given me who love both him and me.   God spoke through the actions and words of concern for me.  He spoke through my friends Shawn and Sandy.   My friend Sandy called me one night out of the blue, just a little after 11 PM.   In our younger days we'd talk until all hours of the morning, but age and work schedules have made our interaction daytime activities for years.   My dear friend Shawn took me to task for my attitude in a way God knew I needed from a friend who is closer than a brother.  Paige  @trunthepaige , Karen @naphtali_deer, John @GreekPhysique, and finally, my pastor, Mike, today over lunch.   Some would say to me, "God has not spoken to you, you strongly desire for God to speak, so you claim he's spoken to you."   All I can say to that is, "Doubters are gonna doubt, haters gonna hate."  When God speaks to me through people, and it is a very personal message, the people speaking have no idea the words they are using speak to matters only God and I know.  God can speak to me through anyone who has a heart for God.

I wasn't looking for God to answer my way.  He's never answered me the way I wanted or thought he should, so I certainly didn't expect him to change now.  God isn't interested in the way I think or do.   God knows our ways seem right to us, but in the end they always lead us to death.  God gave me the answer he knows I need.   I don't have to like what God has called me to do, I have to keep an open heart, submit, and obey.   Is there the expectation from God of repentance?   Yes, of course, but that isn't because of the thoughts in the post.   And by the way, none of you have to like what I say in my posts.  You are welcome to disagree with me, Karen @naptali_deer  certainly had no fear of taking me to task.  THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH, KAREN!   True family in Christ will step up, in love, to confront with the truth of God's word.   When true believers confront is another way God show us he loves us.   Truth without love is legalism.  Love without truth is hypocrisy.  

 

Blessings,

Lonnie

 

ALMOST FORGOT!!!

My pastor and I, and anyone from our fellowship willing to go, have begun outreach to the sexually/relationally broken.   I'm sure we'll crash and burn horribly, to start, but when God gets done it will be more wonderful than anyone could ever ask or think! 

 

 

 

 

PART II  

 

 

"For if a man is in Christ he becomes a new person altogether—the past is finished and gone, everything has become fresh and new."

2 Corinthians 5:17

 

The problem isn't me loving the Church.   I have been a vocal critic of the Church, but I know the Church is God's creation, and he loves his Church.  I'd have abandoned the Church a long time ago if I'd hated the Church.  All I want for the Church is for Christ followers to obey Christ, and for believers to do what Jesus teaches.  

We aren't obeying God when we do what we want, and then stamp God's name on what we want.  The misguided thinking goes something like this, "The Bible says homosexuality is a sin, and I agree with the Bible.  When I vote for political candidates who disagree with homosexuality, and also send money to television preachers who stand up to the "gay agenda" then I'm serving God."   How is sin overcome with that kind of thinking?  The Religious Right condemns while the Religious Left accepts homosexuality as "One of many ways God expresses his creativity in humans."??? God hangs Jesus on a cross, but now he's changed the way he does things?   Now shouting, picketing, and voting are supposed to accomplish God's ends?  "Yeah, but we have to do something to slow down the progress of sin from destroying our society." Oh really?!?!   How has that been working for you?   Has Roe v. Wade been overturned after 39 years?  Has the LGBT 'agenda' been put down and LGBT people been pushed back into the closet?   

 

 

If Christians could so influence this nation to vote down all gay rights legislation, overturn gay marriage laws in every state, and get passed a Marriage Amendment to the Constitution, making marriage between one man and one woman ONLY, what is the next step?  What do Christians do after the LGBT 'agenda' has been defeated, and Christians have 'won' the day? 

 

I'd appreciate it if you could take the questions seriously, and tell me what you really think.  Even if you think I'm not going to agree with you.  

 

 

Is Fine With God

 

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

 

 

 

^"Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”

Exodus 3:10-11

 

Four times Moses questions God about the call on his life.  God doesn't become angry with Moses.  God only becomes angry with Moses when Moses asks God to send someone else to Egypt.  When Moses says, in effect, "I don't want to obey the call, send someone else to Egypt," that is when we are told "The the LORDS anger burned against Moses."  God has absolutely no problem when we say to him, "I can't possibly do what you are calling me to do, God!"  When Moses was 40 years old he set out to accomplish God's call on his life.  Moses set out to obey, but performed God's call the way he (Moses) thought the call of God should be done.  The result of Moses' attempting to accomplish God's call ended in the most terrible failure.  Moses became a murderer when he tried to accomplish what God had called him to do.

The worst thing Christians can do is 'believe' they can accomplish what God calls us to do.  God never, under any circumstances, calls us to do his work, for him.   God calls us to work with him, by working in and through us.  But God always works in such a way that we know, without any shadow of any doubt, that God has worked in an through us.  The Church in America, and perhaps the world over, is in terrible trouble, because people decided they could perform God's call.   The result is Christians have made themselves a stench in the nostrils of the world around them.  Far from drawing a hurt and dying world toward eternal life and healing the Church, in America, has done it's dead level best to push 'sinners' around.  There is no desire to serve God's purposes, rather men stamp God's name on their own purposes and ways.  Religious people are concerned with their place in American culture rather than pursuing the goals and ends of God's kingdom.  

I understand much of God's call on my life, and I fully understand and accept that I can never possibly accomplish anything of value for God.  I don't even have a clue as to how God desires to carry out his call on my life.  I am not even a little troubled not to know what to do.  God knows what to do, so I don't need to know what to do.  What I need to know, God has been working in my life all these years.  It is possible God will have me get a graduate degree or two, but that is yet to be revealed.   What I do know is the call of God is one which brings harsh hardship.   The hardship isn't from God, and the greatest part of the hardship isn't from the world.  With a sinful world there is always hardship, and that is expected.   The greatest and harshest hardship will come from the Church; my fellow Christians.  I do not hate the Church or fellow Christians.  My questions for God arise from what God has showed me, "Lonnie, this is going to be very difficult."  God isn't being mean, and he certainly hasn't showed me all the hardships, but what God has showed me is incredibly harsh.  Do you think God doesn't understand that I don't like the call???  Seriously, who wants to put him/herself out there knowing abuse is there waiting???   Do you think my feelings about God's call will stop me from obeying God???   What blinds us from truly serving God's purpose is when we decide we know how to do what God calls us to do.  God would never call me to the ministry he's called me to if Christians were pursuing God's ends, means, purposes, and ways.   I'm not saying I will not do what God has called me to do, all I've said is, "I hate it..."   I don't hate God, and I don't hate the Church.  I hate the fact I'm called to a bunch of people who claim love for God, but don't want to hear from God's heart through one of their fellow Christians.  Honestly, is my dislike for the call all that shocking?   

 

 

 

I LOVE THIS GUY!

 

Roger E. Olson

 

 

"Churches and other Christian organizations should not rely on written statements of faith but should ask potential employees and community members to offer their own faith statements (by which I mean doctrinal statements). In other words, rather than putting a written statement in front of them and asking them to sign it or swear allegiance to it, they should ask them to produce their own statements of belief about God, Jesus, the Bible, etc. And then they should examine them and determine whether the person belongs among them. I hope that would be done generously.

 

Whenever I look at a statement of faith someone else wrote, I find a word or phrase or sentence or paragraph I’m not sure about. I might or might not believe it. Often it’s a matter of terminology. There’s no “one size fits all” detailed statement of faith. And too often such statements of faith (that pretend to be one size fits all) are poorly written, sloppy, vague and include paragraphs someone insisted on sometime in the past that are tangential to the gospel (at best).

 

Now, I do think it’s fine for a Christian organization (church, college, seminary, mission agency, etc.) to have a written statement of faith as a CONSENSUS STATEMENT only. “This is what our community generally believes to be true.” But I’m opposed to requiring individuals to sign them. In place of that, I suggest individuals wishing to join (be hired, become members, whatever) be given the opportunity to write out their own doctrines. Then there should be a trusted group (deacons, elders, pastoral staff, committee, whatever) who looks at it and decides if the person’s beliefs are sufficiently consistent with the organization’s ethos..."

 

(LINK) to the rest of Dr. Olson's post.

I've come to strongly dislike written statements of faith, which some force others to sign.   Believers should be able to express their own faith.  If professing believers cannot put their faith into words, then I wonder if they have faith at all.   I'm not saying people shouldn't be held accountable for professed beliefs.