Lions and Water Buffalo and Crocodiles, Oh My!

Frank

Huge hat tip to Ivan for a powerful sermon yesterday. So powerful in fact, that I’m dedicating two posts to it.

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

The following video has been seen 64 million times. It is that cool. In fact, all you have to do is start typing “battle” in YouTube and this is the first thing that comes up. I’ll let you watch before babbling further.

Satan is like a lion looking to devour. Who does he devour? The young, the weak, and the alone. In the video, the lions pounce and go right after the young water buffalo. But just when you think the lions have won (out comes a crocodile!) the water buffaloes come to protect their own.

The spiritual application is obvious. Satan preys after the spiritually young, the spiritually weak, and the spiritually alone. But when we stand by our brothers and sisters in their most vulnerable times, we can help defend against the roaring lion. Just as important, as the baby water buffalo proved, no matter how beaten down you may be you can never give up fighting.

“Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (v 9)

“Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7b)

For more, I recommend the book The Lion Never Sleeps by Mike Taliaferro.

The Face of a Movement

Frank

I could have waited to post this next week, but since today is November 5th, it is appropriate to post today. This article in MSNBC brought this to my attention. The mask of Guy Fawkes, brought to recent fame with the graphic novel and eventual movie, V for Vandetta, has become the symbol of the Occupy movement. Anonymous, smirking, almost mocking those he (or she) is protesting against, this is the face of the Everyman. Whether fed up with the profits on Wall Street, or some other en vogue cause, all one has to do is don this mask and join the throng of the opposed.
But I wonder if this symbol would be so embraced if people actually knew its origins?

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I can think of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

So who is Guy Fawkes, other than a popular Halloween mask and political symbol? These entries on wikipedia (Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot ) are worth reading. The poem above, and the celebration of Guy Fawkes Night, are celebrated by anarchists, were used symbolically in V opposing fascism in Britain, and continue to inspire anti-government sentiment.

The poem sounds inspiring, but it continues:

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t’was his intent
To blow up the King and Parli’ment.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England’s overthrow;
By God’s providence he was catch’d
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!

You see, the poem wasn’t celebrating his treason, but was celebrating his getting caught. And it continues further:

A penny loaf to feed the Pope
A farthing o’ cheese to choke him.
A pint of beer to rinse it down.
A fagot of sticks to burn him.
Burn him in a tub of tar.
Burn him like a blazing star.
Burn his body from his head.
Then we’ll say ol‘ Pope is dead.
Hip hip hoorah!
Hip hip hoorah hoorah!

Why did he do it? His treason was in response to discrimination by the British Monarchy towards Catholics. That’s right, this treason was over religious freedom. Even more ironic was that the Monarchy was a borderline theocracy led by King James, the commissioner of that version of the Bible bearing his name.

So I wonder if the Occupiers recognize Guy Fawkes as not only a symbol against the government, but as a symbol of religious freedom. Somehow I doubt it. At the opposite end of the political spectrum, I wonder if proponents of a “Christian America” recognize the irony. I doubt that too.

So as you burn your “guy” in effigy, launch a firecracker, or light a bonfire tonight to celebrate some new world order, remember that it was for religious freedom that this country was settled, for freedom from tyranny this country was founded, and opposition to theocracy that inspired the Gunpowder Plot. Remember, remember the 5th of November.

Flashback Friday: Are Winners More Blessed?

Frank

***I admit I “Tebow” every day. I just don’t take a picture of it and post it on Facebook. Tim Tebow is a lightning rod presently and when I went back to dig up old posts about him, I discovered I haven’t really written much about him at all. So the following post, from almost three years ago, is more about how the mix of religion and success on the sports field makes us uncomfortable. I think that’s appropriate given the Tebowing phenomenon. But I also want to link to this post by Jen Engel at Fox Sports. She raises an interesting question: if Tebow were Muslim, would anyone dare mock his faith? Something to consider.***

I’m a total sports nut, and I’ve had draft after draft of blog posts dedicated to this subject, but I never seem to get around to posting them. Well, here’s my overdue post on the role of God in sports, motivated courtesy of Mark Kriegel and Foxsports.  [author’s note: this article isn’t cached by Fox Sports, but talked about how Kurt Warner’s faith and return to the Super Bowl made him uncomfortable]

This is a hot topic right now because of the building media hype leading up to the Super Bowl, magnified by Tony Dungy’s retirement and Tim Tebow winning yet another BC$ Championship. If you’re not as much of a nerd as me, let me give you a quick rundown. Kurt Warner, the blue-collar come-from-nowhere Super Bowl Champion quarterback is back with a new team and another shot at glory. He isn’t shy about the role his faith has played in motivating him through tough times, of which he’s had many. Tony Dungy is retiring from coaching the Indianapolis Colts, whom he led to the 2007 Super Bowl. A well-respected and regarded coach with high expectations, he too would give credit where credit was due and was criticized following his Super Bowl win by boasting that he and his opposing coach, Lovie Smith, were the first to “do it the right way” supposedly by not cussing and being religious, implying that the other 30 coaches in the NFL do it the wrong way. (This is not meant as a knock on Dungy at all, just the way the media responded. In fact, I have a great deal of respect for him and would cheer for the Colts because of him. He is definitely a fine example to follow as summarized in this article from OnFaith.) Finally, Tim Tebow is a a phenom-quarterback at the University of Florida who not only thanks God for his accomplishments (only a couple of championships and Heisman trophies but who’s counting?), but even goes on mission trips.

Of course it’s no surprise that these outward displays of faith make others like Kriegel uncomfortable. If God has no place in our government or our public square, then certainly God has no place in sports, right? Faith is even harder to reconcile in sports, where there is a clear winner and loser. Who’s to say God favored one over the other? Does God really care who wins a championship? (If he did, the Cubs would’ve won it all last year, but I digress) Some denominations recognize this and even go so far as prohibiting sports because not only does competition bring out the worst of us (just go watch your church’s local softball team) but it also puts God in a box, forcing Him to choose a favorite. Of course, the Bible tells us over and over that God doesn’t play favorites, so this would be a sin on our part.

The rivalry game between the University of Utah and BYU is called the Holy War (really, only recently so when both teams have been good enough to generate national attention). Does God really care who wins that game? What if Baylor (a Baptist school) plays Notre Dame? Does God care if the baseball player that crosses himself before his at bat strikes out or hits a home run?

Of course, most Christians in sports treat this humbly by crediting God for their talents and their health. They don’t pray to win, they pray to glorify God and for there to be no injuries. It’s usually the fans (and some knucklehead players with misinformed theology, see below) who take it overboard. But even crediting God for talents and opportunities makes others uncomfortable. Look no further than critics of President Bush who never did understand what he meant when he claimed that he believed God chose him to be president. This wasn’t a boast, but a humble reference to Romans 13:1. We can joke that Obama is the ‘chosen one’ but again, referencing Romans and conceding that God has a hand in all things, he really is. But then we’re back to the problem with sports- was Florida ‘chosen’? If so, where’s free will?

So there’s a danger in all of this. There’s no problem with thanking God, for that’s what the Bible commands us to do “in everything” (Phil 4:6) and “in all circumstances” (1 Thes 5:18). But we need to draw a line between divine providence (opportunity and talent) and divine intervention. This is where some fans and athletes cross the line. I mentioned BYU earlier and I’m not shy in saying that I absolutely hate them. But last year, there was a “miracle catch” to beat Utah as time expired and later a “miracle block” to beat UCLA in their bowl game. Their receiver, after this miracle catch was quoted as saying, “Obviously, if you do what’s right on and off the field, I think the Lord steps in and plays a part in it. Magic happens.” But what about the thugs and cheats that permeate professional sports who are successful? See where this theology leads? (this is also a problem with Prosperity Doctrine, but that’s another post for another day)

This isn’t a new problem. Look at how David lamented on the success of the wicked in the Psalms. Solomon did the same in Ecclesiastes. Or even the apostles who wondered why a man was born blind. Righteous living does not equate success in this life despite what our favorite athletes might say. We need to look no further than Jesus’ reply to reconcile our faith with prosperity, or in our case victory: “[T]his happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” (John 9:3)

The “his” above could be “us” or “them” with regards to our own success or that of our favorite (or least favorite even) team. Give God the glory. Give him thanks. And humbly recognize that whether you win or lose, God is in control.

(For entertainment, check out this article from a year ago that gives a list of sports colliding with faith. See if you can tell the difference between most of the quotes- the most obvious exception being the boxer- and what the BYU player said.)

Battle Plan

Frank

As I mentioned Monday, this past weekend’s Halloween-themed sermon was on battling our monsters  drawing lessons from David’s confrontation with Goliath. (h/t Fred for the lesson and Dave for the additional insight!)

Recall the epic battles in “Braveheart” with each nation’s army lined up on opposite sides of the valley below. Remember the shouting back and forth, signaling strength and confidence. Now imagine that continuing on for 40 days and NO ONE ACTUALLY FIGHTING! I figure everyone would’ve been pretty hoarse after just a couple of days.

That is the scene David walks into in 1 Samuel, chapter 17. For 40 days the Philistine army had been lining up opposite the nation of Israel, daring them to fight. Leading the taunting was nine-foot tall Goliath and not a single Israelite dared to take him on. Except for young, diminutive David.

I think the reason the army of Israel was afraid to fight was because they were thinking of a conventional fight, taking on strength with strength. Of course that strategy works if your strengths match up. But if you know you’re at a disadvantage, it is wise not to fight.

“Suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.” (Luke 14:31-32)

But this wasn’t a conventional fight. The army of Israel wasn’t fighting alone. They had the power of the Lord Almighty fighting beside them.

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:4)

Somehow they forgot that in the face of someone stronger. But David didn’t. He remembered the LORD his God. But he still needed a strategy of his own.

It is obvious that he was thinking of this while with Saul when he told him he “could not go [in Saul’s armor]” because he “was not used to them.” (1 Samuel 17:39) He knew his only chance was to match his speed against Goliath’s strength.

Also note that he picked up not just one, but five smooth stones. He expected he would need to get off more than one shot. He had a plan and he had a strategy.

But God had another strategy in mind. He only wanted one to stand up for His Name. So David only needed one shot to take down this giant.

Sometimes when facing our own inner demons, the sin that so easily entangles, we get stuck in a stare-down. We are too afraid to commit to the fight. Other times, we try and match strength for strength, but we can not overcome our sinful nature on our own. “When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” (Romans 7:21) So we need to try unconventional means. We need to plan. We need to be cunning. “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:16) We need a strategy.

This post is part of the One Word at a Time Blog Carnival hosted by Peter Pollock. This week’s topic is strategy. Be sure to click the link to check out other posts!

Zombies vs Monsters

Frank

I woke up this morning feeling like a zombie, but that’s not what this post is about.
Imagine if Jesus was born in today’s culture. I’m not talking about his return, but if he were to come the first time around in 21st Century America. The reaction to the virgin birth would be scandalous enough, but think about some of the things Jesus said and some of the things he did. Imagine the reaction after being told to eat his flesh and drink his blood. Imagine the headlines raising Lazarus from the dead would have garnered. But most of all, imagine the response upon seeing the risen Jesus.

George Romero couldn’t come up with a better story. Zombies are this years’ vampires, with the success of the TV show The Walking Dead, based on the comic book of the same name. And if you visit a comic book store, you would see that almost every other title involves zombies.

brains….

But this is about Jesus, the original zombie (you can skip to the 3:00 mark, but it’s the Colbert Report, so really you want to watch the whole thing.)

While Jesus may have been the original zombie, you and I are also zombies. (now you know what that persistent itching is all about)

“For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:9-11)

BRAINS!

Well that’s one interpretation anyway.  Jeff Kinley actually takes the opposite view (see, even zombies have denominations!) that those without Christ are the actual zombies and offers a “zombie guide” to help combat them.

BRAINS!

(sorry, I haven’t had breakfast yet.)

Yesterday, our sermon was Halloween-themed about fighting the monsters within. I haven’t read the book above, it actually was just released, but in a similar vein I recommend Mike Talieferro’s The Killer Within. It relates sin to real disease, not a zombie-like infection. Yesterday’s sermon actually centered on the story of David and Goliath, but Jesus talked about this condition himself.

“When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.” (Luke 11:24-26)

I think we all have felt that monster inside of us. Sometimes it comes out for just a moment and surprises us. Other times it feels like that monster has complete control. What is your monster? Anger? Addiction? Impurity?

Today, Halloween, this zombie is going to fight some monsters.

Weekend Reading, 29 October

Frank

So it’s been forever since I’ve done one of these and with my computer crashing this isn’t a best-of from the last week, more like a must-read from a couple of weeks ago (or longer!). As fast as social media moves, it can be easy to miss the good stuff. So without further ado…

 

First off, happy belated blogiversary to Matt Appling at The Church of No People! His blog is one of my favorites. It helps that it’s one of the few that my firewall at work doesn’t blog (don’t tell anyone!).

 

Next are overdue congratulations to Tyler Braun and Glynn Young on their manuscripts being accepted for publishing. I’m looking forward to the end product!

 

If you’ve read my blog for any period of time you’ve noticed one subject I am most passionate about is the present state of the Church, Christ’s Bride and our own personal struggles within. So when others write with conviction and concern it always gets my attention. In no particular order:

  • Jonathan Keck wishes that America would experience a “Bloody Revolution” (don’t judge by the title, this is a serious read)
  • Collin Hansen writes about “the Rise and Fall” of the Congregational Church of Northampton, once home to Evangelical giant, Jonathan Edwards.
  • Rachel Held Evens wants a faith worth fighting for, one that is not “easy“.
  • Mercedes writes about how the “Structure of the Church Must Change“.
  • Jay Cookingham reminds us that it is Jesus who “invites” us to follow him, not the other way around.
  • Duane Scott laments that many seek the Truth but only find “Religion“. (scroll about half-way down)
  • Matt Appling compares “Big Church” with Big Oil.

 Enjoy reading and have a blessed weekend!

Happiness Happens

Frank

This is a common thought of mine, frequently wrestled with in prayer: why does fill-in-the-blank rob me of my joy? I fill that blank with my kids, my job, the minutia of adult life (bills, burned out light bulbs, weeds, etc), my computer crashing, and so on. I struggle over this because I am convinced that as a Christian these things should not shake me.

But then I heard a great observation in a sermon: “happiness is based on what happens, but joy is rooted in the eternal.” Easy to remember. Happiness happens. I don’t think I’m alone in the feelings I describe above and I think our problem is that we confuse happiness with joy.

It’s ok not to be happy when you’re running late and stuck at a red light. It’s ok not to be happy when you are sick and tired of being sick and tired. It’s ok not to be happy when all those little things get under your skin, on your last nerve.

But the Bible commands us to “be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, emphasis added)

Honestly, I read that scripture, shake my head and wonder, how on earth?

But that’s my problem. There is no “how on earth”. Jesus endured the cross “for the joy set before him” (Hebrews 12:2). The joy before him wasn’t here on earth, it was in eternity with God his father. We have that same hope and therefore we should share that same joy.

Jesus told his disciples prior to his betrayal and crucifixion, “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” (John 16:21-22) While we did not get to see the resurrected Jesus, we have confidence that we will someday. “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.” (v 33)

Thankfully, until that time, Jesus did not leave us all alone.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” (Romans 5:1-5)

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is joy, second only to love. We need to turn to, trust in, and rely upon the Holy Spirit to give us joy as we have hope in Jesus.

Instead of saying @#%! happens, remember instead that happiness happens, joy is eternal. Thanks be to God for his gift of the Holy Spirit and the hope we have in Jesus for eternity.

Martyr

Frank

When Osama Bin Laden was killed, the US government was quick to remove the body to bury it at sea. There were criticisms from one side fueling conspiracy theories that he wasn’t actually killed since no concrete evidence was ever provided. While critics on the other side noted that the Muslim religion required burial within two days.

A few months later, Muammar Qaddafi was killed during the Lybian uprising. His body was kept on full display, long after the two days their religion prescribed, for the Lybian people to see. He is now buried in an undisclosed location.

In both cases, their final resting place was kept secret so as to not become shrines. Critics have pointed out, in both cases, that these leaders should not have been killed but rather held on trial like ousted dictator Saddam Hussein. They argue that killing these leaders elevates them to martyrs, evidenced by how their burials were handled.

This isn’t a political post, but Qaddafi’s headline was fresh in my mind as I was reading about the stoning of Stephen in Acts 7, the first martyr of Christian Church. At the time, it could be argued that the Jewish leaders had enough; after warning the disciples to stop their blasphemy in the Temple and in synagogues, an example had to be made. A later verse stands out to confirm this: “But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.” (Acts 8:3, emphasis added) I would expect their desired outcome would have been the disciples backing away in fear. I expect government and rebel leaders felt the same about Bin Laden and Qaddafi.

But the disciples did not back away nor did they back down. Acts 8 continues, “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.” (v 4) Martyrdom didn’t stop this religious revolution, it emboldened it.

Maybe it’s a stretch to compare these two brutal megalomaniacs with the first Christian martyr whose “face was like the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:15) But I think this example, not to mention others in history, prove that the critics have a valid point.

Downtime

Frank

Nothing new from me. I have a couple of posts in the queue, but my computer crashed on Friday so those will have to wait. I’m also on the road most of this week so I won’t have the chance to update much. I’m hoping to be back up full swing this time next week.

In the meantime, just ’cause, check out this sermon from David Platt:

I Wish I Could Just Show Up

Frank

Once upon a time I just showed up. I didn’t think twice about it. In fact, if I did think twice it meant I probably wouldn’t show up at all. And it wouldn’t bother me a bit. Too hungover? Sleep in. Feel too guilty over the sins of Saturday night to show up Sunday morning? No problem, there’s always next week.

But then that all changed. One Sunday while in college, God’s Word spoke to me like it never had before. I knew at that moment I couldn’t turn back. I began to devour the Word. I would spend hours in Barnes & Noble flipping through every book on the shelf in the Christianity section. I started to listen to different preachers on the radio. Like a sponge, I absorbed everything I could read, see, or hear about how to live like Christ. I could no longer just show up.

I look around some Sunday mornings now and wonder if anybody feels the same as I did, or feels the same as I do now. When I reach out to another and they tell me they attend such-and-so church, I wonder if they are just showing up, or if they have a fire burning inside of them like I feel.

But I wish I didn’t feel this way. I wish I could just show up. I wish I didn’t care. Because the more I read the more I wrestle, and the more I wrestle the more I question. So I read more. And more. And more. I wish I could just show up, nod my head at whatever preacher-man has to say and close my Bible as I close the door of the church behind me.

As they say, you can’t un-ring the bell. I wish I didn’t care. I wish church was just religion and God was just an idea. Instead I now wrestle over theology that is way over my head. I wrestle over the tension between Gospel and Kingdom; between Paul and Jesus. I wrestle with the New Perspective of Paul and am curious about the Federal Vision. I am fascinated by the subject of soteriology. And yes, all of these are related.

That’s this week.

That’s why I blog. That’s why I read other blogs. That’s what keeps my faith fresh and keeps me ever-striving to learn what it means and how to be Christlike. If you’re a regular reader here, I expect you feel the same way. If you’re another writer, blogger, theo-thinker, I appreciate your unique perspectives and reflections. I thank both of you. We are growing together. Prayerfully, we are doing this as Paul described:

“… being built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” (Ephesians 4:12-15)