Lights in a Dark World

I’m revisiting a recent post I wrote. Mainly because this topic keeps coming up in conversations I’ve been having and listening to these past few weeks.

I’m hearing people talk about cultural relevancy and how do we keep on the message and yet reach out to as many as possible. I’m hearing people say they go to churches where the pastors are having to deal with how to reach the younger generation without having to become so “seeker friendly” that we lose the message of holiness. I’m hearing youth pastors saying “I’m tired of my youth group not caring about living for God.”, I’m hearing that the next generation has re-defined what tithing means. It’s no longer a biblical mandate for today, but was solely for the Early Church. And I could go on and on. So, what do we do and what does it all mean to us?

We live in a day where we are literally bathed in impurity. Messages from every possibly outlet hit us over and over in one day’s time. Internet, billboards, store ads, commercials on TV and TV programs themselves, movies, you name it, and it’s full of impurity. Our culture is drenched in it. I John 3:1-3 says this, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” This is what we are!!! We must consider the separateness, the distinct-ness, it’s who we are. My hubby said it so well the other day when we were discussing this. “The message of holiness and righteousness has not changed. It should not change!”

To love the world is to be the enemy of the Father. "But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior" (1 Peter 1:15). Holiness and purity are far-reaching, encompassing all of our lives, behavior, thoughts, and speech.

We say that we want to be like Christ, we come to church every Sunday, we go through the motions but do we really want to be like Him? Are we really desiring to “be holy in all your behavior”? Because “it ain’t easy” in the world we live in.

Not just in our world, be even our churches are looking more and more like the world. This is the part that concerns me. We dress like the world, talk like the world, are entertained by the world, act like the world. How can we possibly fulfill this command? Because the idea of being holy, separate and pure is really very counter to the message many of our churches are focusing on today. The real goal for many is “reaching the world”. That’s not what I hear Jesus saying, though, right before He left this earth. He said, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Yes, He said go but go and teach them TO OBEY everything… Where do we get the idea in the Bible that reaching the world means mirroring what the world does? I don’t see it. Maybe I’m slow or maybe I’m just old-fashioned but I just don’t see it. When Paul said “I become all things to all people” he was not saying that he was going to change his standards to reach more people for Christ. What a contradiction that would’ve been! Paul was not talking about changing how he lives; he was talking about loving as Christ loved. He said that he used his freedom to become a servant. The idea here is of love and servanthood, not becoming worldly.

We have to develop a passion for purity. A desire for righteousness and holiness. This is a far cry from where we, as a culture, are today. This passion has to come from the Holy Spirit, I can’t muster it up within myself. We have to see righteousness and holiness as they are described and characterized in the Bible. This is our standard, our measuring stick.

And here’s the problem. I think the big problem with our churches trying to be “culturally relevant” or whatever you want to call it, is that we are comparing ourselves to other churches. We shouldn’t be doing that! We are only to compare ourselves to one thing and that is the Bible and Christ. When we are lining up and living up to what the Word of God says about how we are to behave in this evil age, then we are doing what we have been called to do.

Personally, I feel we are chasing the wrong thing. We should be pursuing and chasing the Bible instead of pursuing being relevant. The Good News is relevant; the Word of God has and always will meet every person’s needs. The Bible will never be old-fashioned, out of date or irrelevant. Instead of the world becoming like the church, the church is becoming like the world. It should be the other way around.

So, I know I’m rambling all over the place. I guess my main point would be this: We have swung way over on the balance to try to meet the world. Personally, I think we’re missing it here. As a corporate church, I think our standards are lacking. I think the reason the world doesn’t like what they see, is because it’s not different. It’s not life-changing. Why should they come to church when they see the same lifestyle being modeled by people who are Christians? Why should they pursue something that doesn’t bring real, authentic change to their lives?

My husband has a really good friend that is not a Christian. He told my husband one day that he “did not want to go to church and do all the stuff that Christians do, because to him, it was no different. They go to church and still come out cussing, smoking, getting drunk, treating their families poorly. What’s the difference? I can live my life right now and be just as good as they are. At least I’m being honest with myself.”

Something to think about church. What are we modeling?

D.L. Moody said it so well: “I do not say that here we shall ever be like our model Christ Jesus in measure or degree. But light is light, whether it be candle-light, gaslight, electric light, or sunlight. It is the same in kind or nature, if not in degree. So we may really resemble Christ, although we do not realize the full measure of his divine perfection. A good definition of sanctification or holiness would be, conformity to His example. He is the Light of the world; we are to shine as lights in the world. He is the Word; we are His living epistles.”

Government Expansion Coming To Your Home Sometime Soon

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted and narrowly passed H.R. 3962, the final House version of the health care reform legislation, last Saturday evening.
I have been following this and although the bill is almost 2000 pages long and there is no way I could read it all in a short time, there are sections of the bill that trouble me greatly. I have been following the Home School Legal Defense Association and their take on the contents on this bill. HSLDA opposes this bill because of its creation of new, federally funded home visitation programs. Costing $750 million dollars, these new programs will teach parents how to raise their own children. These programs will allow the federal government to expand its involvement in early education and could threaten parental rights.

H.R. 3962 is 1,990 pages long. This mammoth bill will not only expand the government’s role in early education, it will interfere with medical decisions between you and your doctor and force employers to make decisions that could lead to lower wages or lay-offs. While health care reform is needed, H.R. 3962 is not the right reform, as it will bring higher taxes, and an increase in government control over families.

Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, said on November 2, 2009: “At its core, this bill is very similar to what we’ve already seen in the Senate—a trillion-dollar government experiment that raises taxes, raises premiums, slashes Medicare, and leads to unprecedented government control over the health care decisions of Americans. That’s the foundation, the starting-off point. It doesn’t get any better from there.”

Now this bill goes to the Senate for passage. Please call your Senators and urge him or her to oppose the federal government’s takeover of health care. You can use some or all of the following message (taken from HSLDA's website):

“Please oppose H.R. 3962, the ‘Affordable Health Care for America Act.’ In a time of economic hardship, the federal government should not take on a program that will double our national debt. I am also opposed the bill’s creation of home visitation/early education programs through grants to the states. Parents, not federal or state officials, should make child rearing decisions for their young children. Additionally, the ‘Affordable Health Care for America Act’ will expand the federal government’s role and will interfere with medical decisions between me and my doctor."

You can find the contact information for your U.S. senators by going to Home School Legal Defense on the internet and using their Legislative Toolbox. This is not a site just for home-schooling families, although they do follow laws and trends that could affect our freedoms as home-schoolers. This site is great information for anyone who loves family values and loves this great, free land in which we live.

We Are Not 'Of This World'

* Christianity is foolishness in a world full of earthly wisdom.
* It is peace in a world filled with war.
* It is 'the meek will inherit the earth' in a world of 'get out of my way so I can have what I want'.
* It is 'seek ye first the Kingdom of God' in a world of 'well, what can I get out of this?'.
* It is goodness in a world where impurity is rampant.
* It is giving your first fruits to God in a world where materialism is esteemed.
* It is 'turn the other cheek' in a world of get rid of those you don't like.
* It is 'spare the rod and spoil the child' in a world where 'having a talk' and discipline by reasoning is the norm.
* It is 'whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men' in a world of backstabbing and political correctness.
* It is 'sell everything and follow Me' in a world bent on having the newest and the latest.
* It is modesty in a world where mothers dress their daughters to be "cute" and "sexy" from age 4.
* It is male leadership and female submission in a world where men are becoming non-leaders and women are becoming dominant.
* It is love and acceptance in a world of resentment and revenge.
* It is grace freely given in a world where 'you owe me' is the daily agenda.
* It is 'peace, be still' in a world of never ending activity.
* It is the Word in a world where people would rather be visually entertained than pick up a good book.
* It is 'I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father, but by me' in a world of cultural relativism.
* It is 'whatever you do to the least of these, you do to Me' in a world of pushing aside the less fortunate, poor or weak.
* It is 'for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, to love and to cherish, 'til death do us part' in a world of marriage for convenience sake.
* It is 'loving your wife as Christ loved the church' in a world of liposuction, fad diets and plastic surgery.
* It is 'honor thy father and mother' in a world where young people don't know what the word respect means.
* It is communicating with the God of the universe in a personal and passionate way in a world of self-help advisors.
* It is the One, True God in a world where we have become our own gods.
* It is 'if you want to be great in the Kingdom, learn to be a servant' in a world of people demanding to be served.
* It is 'loving your neighbor as yourself' in a world of egocentricity.
* It is 'holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come' in a world of lewdness and profanity.

There is a reason that Satan was termed "The prince of this world".

Thoughts on What I Think

I just returned from my 30 year reunion at VFCC (Valley Forge Christian College). YUP, I am old! :)
Had an awesome time with friends that I haven't seen, well... in thirty years! Some, I had seen 28 years ago at weddings and such and one friend that moved to my home state of Virginia I have seen since, but otherwise, besides keeping in touch via Facebook and Christmas cards, that was it.
There were 22 of us that attended the actual dinner. I know that doesn't sound like a lot of people, but it really was a good turnout. The other classes had less than we did, so I was very pleased.
Great to reminisce and share old times and laugh.
Also, got to hang out at a really neat Bed & Breakfast (my first encounter) about 10 miles from campus. It was a beautiful Victorian home and my three best friends from school days and their hubbies all stayed there. So, we had an awesome time. Again, reminiscing. And did I mention that we laughed a lot?
One of the activities that we attended was the Friday morning chapel service at VFCC. Chapel is required every weekday.
Okay, so here are the thoughts I was thinking (is that redundant?)
Chapel service was good. I was struck, though, by the dress-code or lack of one. I know, I'm old, I already said that, but, come on folks, this is a Christian college and this is a incubator for ministry and excellence, right? Can't we at least wear a decent shirt, jeans with no-holes and something besides flip-flops to chapel?
I know, we're trying to be "culturally relevant" (that term scares me sometimes) but it's not like these kids are out in the world reaching people while they're in chapel. There needs to be some semblance of standard here. I'm all for reaching people where they are at, but I'm also for there are correct times and places for casual and sloppy clothing.
I just think our culture is changing so much and we are trying to fit in so much that we are forgetting who we are and that we do need to be different. I am NOT saying that we hang on to the old just for the sake of hanging on to the old. But I also think there is danger in trying to be just like the world in everything we do and say.
I know it's a dangerous subject to open. But I did and that is what I think. What's wrong with looking nice? What's wrong with dressing up (not even dressing up, but just wearing decent pants and a decent shirt)? What's wrong with wearing shoes instead of flip-flops or going barefoot? Which one will exclude people? Which way will include and make people feel more comfortable?
I realize our culture has become extremely casual and informal. Not only have we done it in our dress, but in our morality. And I believe that the two can be connected. I did not say that just because you dress casually means you are immoral. (I am one who loves to walk around in a t-shirt and jeans.) But, I do believe that we have let our guard down as Christians and we have accepted the "norm" of society as our own norm. I think clothing is just one of many areas that we need to be careful with. It also includes issues of what and how Christian women should dress and modesty. Okay, there, I said it! You may not agree, but that's what I think.
Anyway, we had a great time and did I mention that we laughed a lot?

BOOK REVIEW #2 - Find Your Strongest Life

Well, here it is. My much anticipated 2nd book review. HA. Just kidding.

But I did just finish reading my second book published by Thomas Nelson Publishers and wanted to share my review with you.

The book is entitled: Find Your Strongest Life - What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently and the book was authored by Marcus Buckingham.

Personally, I did not care much for this book. Here are my reasons:

1. The book was published by Thomas Nelson Publishers which means (to me) it's going to be a book with some sort of Christian world-view. Right? Well, nope, not even a little bit. I am sure Marcus Buckingham is a great guy, but he didn't mention God one time in the book. There was one chapter where he used a certain lady as an example and the fact that she had a "great faith" as he termed it. But that was it. I was really surprised.
I guess because, to me, any success at all that we derive in life, male or female, comes from the Lord. And He is the One who is in charge of our lives. He is the road map that we need to direct our lives and He is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.

2. The premise of his writing was based upon an experiment he conducted on the Oprah Winfrey show. He had 30 women come to the show and talk about why or why not they felt their lives were meaningful, fulfilled, etc... I, personally, have a difficult time with Oprah these days. She has openly talked about her New Age belief system and I don't think that I want to draw from that kind of input.

3. This book was filled with many statistics and examples of women he had talked to over the course of his research for the book. It had the feel of a "women's lib" kind of take from the moment I started reading it.

It was basically just your typical self-help kind of book. I gleaned nothing new from this one at all. I found this book to be geared more toward the working business-minded woman who wants a career above all else. Nothing wrong with that, mind you. But, because of that, I found that his basic premise of what constitutes "success" to be flawed.

There is also an on-line quiz you can take, which in just a mere 23 questions, gives you your strengths and weaknesses. Both of my daughters took this and neither of them felt the quiz was at all accurate.

Finally, in my opinion, it doesn't matter how many quizzes I take or how deep I look within myself to find out what motivates me, energizes me and keeps me committed; I can never reach my fullest potential without Jesus Christ. I have had to juggle a marriage with a full-time job, have had to work outside the home when my kids were little to help put food on the table and have had a time of getting to be at home and homeschool my children. All of these experiences in themselves have not helped me to have stronger relationships, stronger kids, stronger joy. The one and only thing that has kept me through the wonderful and difficult times has been my relationship with Christ. He made me and He knows what is best for me. He knows me inside and out and if I am listening to Him, then He will direct me and show me the areas in which I am weak. Does that mean I don't seek wise counsel and find out more about myself and how I fit in this world in which He has placed me? Certainly not! But the counsel I seek is wise counsel based on God's word. I do not think this book's philosophy or approach are things that will benefit me as a Christian woman, wife and mother.

Tea from Gay Pa-ree

Most of you know that I am a collector of teapots and teacups.

Well, my very thoughtful aunt just returned from Paris and brought me back this adorable tea set.

I just had to show it off!

Believe

If you don't know me, I am a die-hard Atlanta Braves fan. This year, for the first time since 2005, the Braves have an opportunity to get into the postseason. It's a very scant opportunity as they cannot clinch their division title and are 2 games out from the Wild Card race, with the Colorado Rockies holding first place. Basically, we have to win every game left in order to do this. We have won 13 out of our last 15 games. We have a chance. I hope we can do it! I would love to see them get in, they have worked hard. GO BRAVES!! (Tomahawk Chop)