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| Michael Jackson: That's Not My King! |
| Saturday, June 27, 2009 |
 It's happened at least three times before in my lifetime-- an icon dies! A god is dead.
I was just a kid when J.F.K. died, but I still remember hearing about it. In 1980 I was in my fiancee's apartment waiting for her to get home when I heard about John Lennon's death. In 1997 it was my wife's last day of work when news hit the world that Princess Diana had died. And now we hear that Michael Jackson has met an untimely demise.
All kings and queens in their own right....but, friends, I can assure you THAT'S NOT MY KING! While the world grieves its loss of another mortal god, I still celebrate my gain of salvation through the resurrection of the King of kings.
And nobody says it better than that old Baptist preacher, S.M. Lockbridge in this clip as he exalts the Lord Jesus Christ.
Take three minutes to listen to it. You'll be glad you did, and I'm guessing you'll come away saying: NOW THAT'S MY KING!!! |
posted by Alan @ 10:42 AM   |
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| God's Scandal Removed |
| Tuesday, June 23, 2009 |
 We live in an age of scandal. If it isn't Jon & Kate Gosselin, it's Perez Hilton and Carrie Prejean, or swimmer Michael Phelps and his bong. The darkness inside of us thrives on human train wrecks; it feeds on the demise of people that our world has made into little gods. We scream "hypocrite" every time we see good people go horribly wrong, as a way to justify our own bad behaviour.
This is why Jehovah God needed to remove the scandal that hung around His own good name for thousands of years. Accused of hypocrisy, He was seen by unbelievers as a two-faced God. On the one hand He demanded holiness; on the other hand He was the friend of sinners. Men like Abraham, Jacob, Moses and David.....all men steeped in sin.....all men He dared to call His friends.
First, there was Abraham, a coward, a man who farmed his own wife Sarah out to other men in order to save his life. Yet God called Abraham "the friend of God"?
Then there was Jacob, the liar and cheat. Yet God identified Himself as "the God of Jacob"?
And how about Moses, the murderer and fugitive from the law. Wasn't he the one that God gave His holy commandment to "Not Kill" to wave before the people? Wasn't this pure hypocrisy on Moses' part, and bad judgment on the part of God?
And then there was David, an adulterer and murderer: God actually called him "a man after God's own heart". Doesn't that seal the scandal for those who don't believe? How could a holy God keep company with, and exalt, such seedy and imperfect men as these? Wasn't this a scandal of epic proportions?
Yes it was!!! God knew that it wasn't righteous or just to forgive guilty sinners and not punish them: He said so Himself. So how could He keep company with these kind of men, calling them "friends of God", and "men after His own heart"? Wasn't this the ultimate in unholy hypocrisy?
Without question it was a stain on God's good name for almost 4,000 years. Until He sent His Son Jesus, He had to endure the catcalls and accusations of people who questioned His integrity. But then, He sent Jesus to pay the penalty for Abraham through David's sins...and all the way back to Adam....and all the way forward to you and me.
"To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be known as just, and the Justifier of those who believe." (Romans 3:26)
In Christ the scandal is removed! In Christ God punishes all our sin. In Christ God fellowships with believers from every age, so that even men like Abraham (and you and me) could be justified and pardoned through the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 4:1-8).
The cross is the scandal removed! Not only does it remove the stain of our sin from our own record, it also removes the stain of apparent hypocrisy on God's part. In Christ He carried out justice for all our sins, and cleared His own Name in the process!
Amen to that?
Labels: blood, salvation |
| posted by Alan @ 2:19 PM |
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| Humility |
| Wednesday, June 17, 2009 |
I'm not sure what your experience has been, but I've bumped into more than a few Christians over the years who regularly express moral outrage at not only "the big issues" on the cultural landscape, but also at the little ones too. In fact, I have had a rather regular encounter with a fusspot I meet in the mirror every day. But I recently read something both simple and profound from a man who always scratches my itch and anoints it with the healing balm of compassionate wisdom. His name is Brennan Manning.
Reflecting on Peter's words to "wrap yourselves in humility" (1 Peter 5:5) Manning writes: THE HUMBLE MAN IS SURPRISED BY ALL THE GOOD THAT HE SEES AROUND HIM RATHER THAN BEING SCANDALIZED BY WHAT HE CANNOT JUDGE ANYWAY.
I've put it on my wall, right behind my computer screen. Maybe I'll stick it on my mirror too. Labels: humility |
| posted by Alan @ 11:46 AM |
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| Bono To Instruct God's Church? |
| Wednesday, May 20, 2009 |
 I'm starting to realize how out-of-the-loop I seem to be for "effective" pastoral ministry. Today I was loaned the promo for Willow Creek's 2009 Leadership Summit, and was stunned to discover that one of the headliners who will instruct God's people is going to be rock star and celebrated humanitarian Bono. But, hang on, it gets worse.
As I read through the lineup I found names like David Gergen -- one of CNN's political talking heads; Gary Hamel -- the founder of Stratego, a worldwide financial consulting company; Carly Fiorina -- Fortune magazine's Businesswoman Of The Year in 1998; and others.
Maybe I'm just too old-fashioned, but when exactly did God ask us to take our cues from the world on church matters? I remember the days when headliners at church conferences were great men and women of faith, proven leaders in the Kingdom of God, not the Kingdom of Mammon. Where in the Gospels do we see Jesus bringing in Roman dignitaries and philosophers to instruct His disciples on Kingdom living and evangelism?
Maybe I've misunderstood Willow Creek's intention. Maybe this isn't about instructing the church about leadership at all. Maybe it's an attempt to inject Christian values into the secular world. I'm not altogether sure.
But of this, I am definitely sure: if this conference is primarily to instruct Christian leaders on leadership principles for the 21st century church, then in my humble, perhaps uninformed view this is cultural relevance gone to seed.
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| posted by Alan @ 1:54 PM |
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| Why God Lets Us Suffer |
| Tuesday, May 19, 2009 |
I'm 50 now, meaning that most of my earthly life is now behind me. Several events in the past little while have jarred me out of my lingering complacency about death. My wife of 28 years has spent 20 of those years suffering greatly, in and out of hospital. We patiently wait for the Lord to relieve her of her misery and take her home. Last year my father died. This month I have faced my own mortality as I await the results of a biopsy. This, and other creeping problems, remind me that I (we) am not long for this world.
I recently came across a passage on this subject written by John Calvin, the great reformer. I'd like to paraphrase it here. It's a wonderful reminder of why God lets us suffer.
"Whatever affliction we may be facing, we should always keep this end in view --- to make it a habit to have some contempt for this present life so that we might be more excited to meditate on the life which is to come. For the Lord, knowing our strong inclination to love and cherish this world, uses a most excellent method to reclaim our attention so that we won't remain tenaciously attached to our foolish affection. To oppose this great evil, the Lord, by continual lessons of misery, teaches his children the vanity of this present life. So that they may not promise themselves profound and secure peace in it, He permits them to be frequently upset by wars and tumult, robbery, and other injuries. So that they may not aspire too much after the temporary pleasures of this life, He will reduce them to mediocrity or even despair through exile, pestilence, drought, fire, bankruptcy, or many other means. That they won't be too complacently delighted with the hearth and home, He may cause them to be distressed by a difficult spouse, wicked offspring, or want or loss of children. He is quite willing to show them by disease and dangers the unstable and transitory nature of all mortal blessings. We therefore truly derive great advantage from this discipline of carrying our cross only when we learn that this life is, in itself, restless, turbulent, miserable in many instances, and in no respect altogether happy; and that all its reputed blessings are uncertain, transient, vain, and adulterated with a mixture of many evils; and that when we think of a crown we must raise our eyes toward heaven. For it must be admitted, that the mind is never seriously excited to desire and meditate on eternity, without having previously imbibed in a healthy contempt for the present. However, this being said, believers should nevertheless be thankful to God, and not ungrateful, for the many blessings and comforts He has provided in this life. To hate life altogether then, is to indulge in another evil. But to understand that it is quite temporary, and much better lies beyond, is the reason that God lets us suffer."
What great love, then, God has for us in allowing us to suffer. He is weaning us from idolatry and turning our hearts toward home.
Labels: heaven, suffering |
| posted by Alan @ 9:57 PM |
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| The Most Important Thing! |
| Tuesday, April 28, 2009 |
When I was growing up my mom had a little plaque that hung on the wall behind her sewing table, which read: Only one life, 'twill soon be past; and only what's done for Christ will last. Those words of wisdom have stuck with me my whole life.
Do we see the bigger picture? I mean, do we? Really? When the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians he had the "big picture" firmly planted in his mind.
If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Col 3:1-31)
So many of us simply haven't died. The Bible tells us that true Christians have "crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal 5:24), and yet, if we're really honest, those passions and desires are still what drive many of us when we get up in the morning.
But I suspect that if God were to give us just a 24 hour glimpse of heaven and hell there would be few of us anymore who would waste much more time on what our friends and neighbors chase. Suddenly our manic coveting would turn to a more speedy and diligent care of our souls.
Friends, it is lack of faith that makes us worldlings: we simply don't see what is in the billions of years ahead of us. We're too focused on the here and now. Oh yes, we believe our creeds and we do our devotions, but we don't really believe in the day of judgment, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting, otherwise we'd be more applied toward it if we did. You know why? Because you always live what you believe!
God has provided salvation for us through Christ, and we must be about the business of preparing our souls and others for eternity. Let me leave you with these closing verses from God's Word:
"Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat or drink, nor for your body, what you shall put on....for your Father knows that you need these things." (Matt 6:25,32)
"Be anxious about nothing." (Phil 4:6)
"Cast all your care upon Him, for He careth for you." (1 Peter 5:7)
"Don't labor for the meat that perishes, but for that which endures to eternal life." (John 6:27)
"Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added unto you." (Matt 6:33)
These verses indicate that we have now become so heavenly-minded that we are no longer worldly in our daily business. We're so absorbed with preparing ourselves and others for heaven that hanging out at the mall just doesn't fit into our plans anymore.
There is a greater good than the accumulation of "stuff", my friends! Are you walking securely in "the good works which God prepared beforehand" for you to do?Labels: Christian living, worldliness |
| posted by Alan @ 9:32 AM |
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Name: Alan
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