That's The Point

It never fails. I get into a conversation with someone in the workplace who is not a believer and they eventually bring up one of many names: Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Baker, Robert Tilton, etc., etc., ad nauseum.

I know the point. Yes, I get it. They blew it and got caught. But I always have to ask the same question. "If someone is caught breaking the rules, does that release you from your responsibility to keep them?" See, they're thinking that fallen people somehow invalidate the Christian faith. That's like saying criminals invalidate the legal system. If anything, it's just the opposite.

The Bible starts out with point A. We are made in the image of God. Point B. We are fallen. Point C. There is a redeemer and Point D, we are in the now and not yet. No longer what we were before, but not all that we will be. Beloved, now we are the sons of God. And it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know when He shall appear, we shall be like Him. In other words, we still see through glass darkly and wrestle with our natural fallen inclinations.

The key to keep this car moving is that we do not do this alone. When we accept Christ, Heaven moves us from the kingdom of darkness to the light. And there, like Isaiah, we see how fallen we are. Those blinded will confess their independence. Those who see confess their dependence. To those who believe, he gives the power to become the sons of God. Those who do not, never find this power because it is not inside of us as my new age acquaintances would love to believe.

So I stare at my non-believing friend as he rants. I wait for him to finish. "These guys still break the law and though some of them are sincere, they're still messed up." (That's a paraphrase. I couldn't use some of his words.")

"Like they're in constant need of help or something?"

"Yeah, like they need Jesus or the Bible or maybe some preacher or other Christian with them every hour to keep them in line. Like they can't do this on their own or something. The only way they can do it is if they have 'Jesus' by their side."

I smiled and simply said. "That's the point."

OS Hillman

OS? No, not operating system. It's the first name of my favorite daily devotional writer. Don't get the connection? Read on.

If I were to point to one devotional series that has affected my life more than any other, it would have to be PrimeTime With God by OS Hillman. I have read My Utmost for His Highest, Experiencing God and other devotionals by many different authors. But tucked away in 1st place in my heart is the short but relevant writings of Hillman.

More times than not, I have opened up my email only to find that the devotional for the day was exactly what God was speaking to my heart. And I have also had the experience of skipping a devotional, facing a situation, and finding the biblical answer was in the devotional that I skipped. He is neither flamboyant nor fanciful. I offer his writings to you. You can go to http://www.churchgrowthmail.org/pages.asp?pageid=30781 and sign up for the daily email. I get no kickbacks from this. I just think it will be a blessing to you. There is also a free spiritual gift analysis.

Here is his most recent devotional at the time of this writing.

Today's Prime Time Message
Overcoming Our Past
by Os Hillman, May 15, 2006

Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. - Judges 11:29a
We've all heard stories of individuals who have overcome extreme hardship during their childhood years. Children of alcoholics, orphans who never have parents, loss of parents to a fatal crash, childhood disease – these are all difficult circumstances to overcome.

Jephthah was a man who overcame his obstacles and refused to allow his circumstances to prevent him from becoming great in God's sight. He was born to Gilead, a result of his father's adulterous encounter with a prostitute. Gilead's wife, who had bore more sons, decided to reject Jephthah, and drove him away from their home saying, "You are not going to get any inheritance in our family because you are the son of another woman." Imagine the rejection this young man felt as he was cast away from his own family.

This experience taught Jephthah to become a hardened warrior. Today he probably would have been part of a street gang. As he got older, his reputation as a warrior became known to those in his country, so much so that when the Ammonites made war on Israel, the elders of Gilead went to Jephthah and asked him to be their commander. Jephthah had to fight off those feelings of rejection from previous years.

"Didn't you hate me and drive me from my father's house?" he responded. He overcame his hurt and pain, and responded to the call God had on his life.

It is said that if we were to help the butterfly remove itself from the cocoon, the butterfly would not be strong enough to survive. It is the struggle that prepares the butterfly to become strong enough to fly. Without the struggle in the cocoon, it could not survive as a butterfly.

The Lord prepares each of us in similar ways. Some of our childhoods seem to have been harsh and born from a seemingly unloving God. However, the Lord knows our struggle and will make our life an instrument in His hand if we will follow Him with an upright heart. He does make all things beautiful in His time if we are willing to be patient.

Email them at cgimail@churchgrowth.org to sign up for the devotional.

Faith Trip (Add Vent)

Ok, Hmmmmm....

I have heard others say it, to paraphrase, I'm just not admitting my pain. Basically it comes down to... why won't your admit you're really still in pain and stop telling people you've been healed...

I
think
people
think
I
am
on some weird faith trip and that's why I keep saying I'm healed. They think I'm hiding the hurt so I can appear super spiritual. Sorry, I don't play those games. One guy asked me, have you started feeling pain yet? As if he's just waiting for me to start hurting again. This is so amazing.

I keep wondering if this is what the blind man felt like when he was standing before the religious leaders. How did this happen? I don't know, but I know who did it and what happened!

Sorry to everyone who would like to believe that I'm just naming and claiming it or that I'm living in some fantasy world of denial. And that I'm hiding it from the world. You just have to live with the fact that God has done something miraculous in me. Do I still have lyme disease in my blood? Don't know. Probably. Am I still experiencing debilating pain that doesn't allow me to walk well, work well, or even play music well. Nope!!!! (Had to strum my guitar just for the fun of it there).

IF those pains should come back, I will know who to go to get to stand with me. They are the people who are standing with me now. This is absolutely amazing to me...

And Now for Something Completely Different...

========================================================
Politically Correct Ecumenical Worship Service...

Good evening, friends, and welcome to our hymn sing. We are pleased to announce that we have a hymn for everyone. Our program this evening will include:

The Dentist's Hymn - Crown Him with Many Crowns
The Weatherman's Hymn - There Shall Be Showers of Blessings
The Contractor's Hymn - The Church's One Foundation
The Tailor's Hymn - Holy, Holy, Holy
The Golfer's Hymn - There Is A Green Hill Far Away
The Politician's Hymn - Standing on the Promises
The Optometrist's Hymn - Open My Eyes That I Might See
The IRA Agent's Hymn - I Surrender All
The Gossip's Hymn - Pass It On
The Electrician's Hymn - Send The Light
The Shopper's Hymn - Sweet By and By
The Realtor's Hymn - I've Got a Mansion, Just Over the Hilltop
The Massage Therapist's Hymn - He Touched Me
The Doctor's Hymn - The Great Physician

And for you motorists

45 mph - God Will Take Care of You
55 mph - Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
65 mph - Nearer My God To Thee Nearer Still Nearer
85 mph - This World Is Not My Home
95 mph - Lord, I'm Coming Home
100+ - Precious Memories

Are You Hoppy?

Here's a riddle:

Five frogs are sitting on a log. One decides to jump off. How many frogs are left?
Think hard!
Ready for the answer?
The answer is....

Five.

Deciding to do something is not the same as doing it. So I ask again. Are you hoppy? Am I hoppy? Or are we the type of person who congratulates ourselves for signing up for the gym? Could this be a faith and works issue? You show me your deep belief that you should go and I will show you my workout record that says I believed I should go and so I went.

And now a lyric from one of my all-time favorite songwriters: Bob Bennett

She in white dress. He in rented clothes
Bargains are struck and promises made
But soon we find those people are already dead or dying
They just exist in photographs that show how far they've strayed

Mistake the nodding of the head and all the words the can be said
Mistake the wearing of the ring for the doing of the thing

And in that quiet cemetary where theories go to die
It's not a question of believing
It's not a question of the lie
It's the distance that we will not cross for the fear of suffering
Between the creed we speak so easily
And the doing of the thing

Broken souls covered in broken skin. No resolution on the video screen
And half a world away somebody does our bidding
Because we like to pray with our fingernails clean

Mistake the nodding of the head and all the words the can be said
Mistake the sympathy we bring for the doing of the thing
The doing of the thing

I get it. Thanks, Bob. I'm heading to the gym. And some friends of mine are headed to Nicaragua. They get it too.