Producing Consumers

A significant calendar date passed us by earlier in the week.  Another June 25^th has come and gone…  Why is this date significant?  Well, it is half a year past Christmas Day; in light of this reality… 

How many “favorite toys” on Christmas morning are still in daily (or regular) use by your children? 

How many of these (new) favorite toys are broken? 

Was new debt incurred to purchase toys, clothes, etc. for Christmas? 

If so, how much debt is paid off from overextending yourself to purchase these (new) favorite toys? 

Was additional debt incurred (or payments put off) while paying for this past “Christmas”?   

Should we get something more significant from the Christmas Season besides debt and "new favorite toys" that will be replaced in next years cycle of consumerism?  

Our culture is quite successful in making consumers of us.  If you doubt this, then why do advertisements work?  If you doubt they do, then why do companies pay millions of dollars for seconds during the Super Bowl?  I realize you may not be as caught up in the consumerism of our culture as the next Joe/Jane...  

However, the success of our culture in making consumers of us can be seen when gifts are given.  As my beautiful wife Melissa and I were discussing recently; who has not seen a small child enamored with either the paper or the box used to give a new gift?  Who has not seen a well meaning parent, sibling, relative, or gift-giver take away the paper or box and basically say, “No no, here, play with this (expensive) toy I have bought for you; isn't it great?!?!”  Why do we do this?  Are we not content with letting a child find enjoyment in something that is less than our ideal for them?  Do we have to justify giving the gift?  

In light of this, and in light of how we are now half a year removed from the Christmas Season, I wonder if God ever looks at us and basically wonders/says, "No no, quit playing with the cheap toys of this world yearn for true treasures I have made available to you!!!"  What would the true treasures be?  Well, an abiding and growing relationship with Him, which He so clearly showed us He wants through the miracle of the Incarnation (the Christmas Season), is certainly an aspect of it.  

Keep in mind, some of our brothers and sisters in Christ celebrate the “birth” of John the Baptist on June 25^th.  While it may sound a bit odd, it is a great concept.  After all, the "birth" of the forerunner to the Messiah reminds us this world is not right.  This world is not how God desires it to be.  Proof of this reality is seen when we reflect on how God sent His Messiah into the world to reestablish His Kingdom...which will culminate in God re-creating everything “new”.  

Yet we need to remember, John the Baptist himself did not fully understand Jesus (cf. Mt11:1-19).  Therefore it would behoove us to humbly admit we need to be ever growing in our awareness of Jesus' Identity.  The miracle of and the implications of the Incarnation certainly help us.  If only we could put away the cheap toys and imitations of fulfillment this world puts forth as worth our time...  

Bucket List [2]...

Cultural expectations, assumptions, desires...and the Bible.  Our tendency to look out for ourselves and make plans in order to make life easier and more enjoyable...and the life of Jesus.  The list could continue, but I think you get the idea it is one of contrast - stark contrast.

Yesterday the issue of a "bucket list" was raised.  A bucket list is a list of things a person desires to do before they die.  Quite often it includes seeing places and/or doing a variety of things.  To be certain, viewing God's creation and having a good time are certainly not wrong.  Yet to muddy the waters a bit we looked at an action of Jesus on the way to His impending death.  In other words, we might ask ourselves, "What was on the "bucket list" of Jesus?"  By the way, the Bible tends to muddy a lot of waters we would rather be clear with smooth sailing.

In summary of yesterday, Jesus sought out a man of great wealth (Zacchaeus) whose response to Jesus was stunning.  With literary beauty Luke sandwiched a lot of people held captive and mastered by money between two (Levi in Lk5:27ff and Zacchaeus in Lk19:1ff) who finally cast off the shackles of deception and were no longer a slave to it.  Jesus' bucket list revolved around expanding the Kingdom of God.  What can we deduce from all of this?

We ought to deduce being a Christian in our culture is not easy.  Granted, we do not face physical death like many brothers and sisters around the world.  Rather, we face persecution (a great tribulation) of a more sinister kind - seduction by our culture.  It is easy to think we are simply "making a living" when in reality we may be in danger of "gaining the world and losing our soul" (Lk9:25).  After all, a married couple with one child living at the U.S. poverty level ($19,090) is more wealthy than 88.65% of the people in the world.  I am not saying it is easy or enjoyable to live at the poverty level (I and we have been there), but I am saying something is wrong with the reality of such disparity.  We live in a world where Weight Watchers is a prosperous company "here", while countless others die of starvation "over there" (and I realize a lack of food is also a problem "here").  What do we do with things like that?  I do not know.  There are not easy answers or quick fixes.  But I do know we do live in a culture of unparalleled wealth and it impacts all of us.

We ought to also deduce that we must not gloss over a biblical use of wealth.  Far too often money is viewed as a tool to get the things we want in order to somehow enjoy life more fully - in the here and now.  Yet Luke tells us we should leverage our money in the here and now so more people can enjoy the abundant life with God - both now and in eternity (cf. the "dishonest" steward in Lk16:1-13).  Indeed, it is easy to be blind to the reality that quite often money is really controlling us and we are serving it as a master.  This should never be.  We should use our wealth as a tool to make God famous.

We ought also concede that on His way to an excruciating and humiliating death Jesus purposefully sought out an individual who would use what the world values (money) to bring glory to the One of infinite worth (God).  It appears Jesus' "bucket list" included making sure the crowning point of God's creation (humans) knew the One who created them and spoke this world into existence loves them.  How high is that on your bucket list?

I must confess there are a variety of places I would like to see and go.  There are many things I would like to do.  There is something special about sharing experiences with those you love.  I do not think there is anything wrong with that.  Yet I find it ironic we live in a culture where a vacation is a necessity due to the frenzied pace at which we live.  Then, while on vacation, many fall prey to our culture and the incessant need to consume (e.g., to see and do, view and experience, etc.), and it takes a toll.  More than one person has returned home desiring a vacation from their vacation...

In sum; whether or not you have a "bucket list" or not is not the point.  What is at least a point to consider is something like; Does your bucket list reflect a high value on the crowning point of God's creation over traveling to a few choice destinations or experiencing a few cheap (or expensive) thrills?  In other words, are people more important than a place or experience?  I think the new heavens and new earth will be far grander than anything we can visually see or experience now.  Put another way; Does your bucket list look any different than someone not following Jesus as their Lord? 


Does your bucket list include...

• family and friends entering the Kingdom of God?  
• serving those less fortunate than you - be it in a "soup kitchen", through your own creative idea, or on a short-term missions trip? 
• reconciling with people you have hurt and offended...or who may have hurt and offended you?  
• "adopting" a child in the neighborhood who does not have a father, or grandparents, and showing them unconditional love while giving a single Mom (or Dad) a bit of time to themselves?  

The list is small and incomplete.  And I may be wrong, but I think a bucket list with items like these just might be more thrilling than something else you may desire to do.  Yet I am certain I am correct in the assumption that they can lead to many being eternally grateful.  

Bucket List...

In the 2007 movie The Bucket List, two men who appear to be different in practically every way (e.g., a millionaire and a working-class mechanic; a four-time divorcee and a man who has been faithful to one woman - his wife) find common ground by what looms somewhere in everyone's mind - the reality of death.  The characters played by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman have both been diagnosed with lung cancer and given a short period of time to live.  Facing the inevitability of death, they both have a variety of things they would like to do before they "kick the bucket" (i.e., die) - hence the title of the movie.

Death.  Unless Jesus comes back first it is a common reality we will all face.  In light of death, how should we live?  More appropriately, in light of God's view of death, how should a Christian live?  More to the point, should Christians have a "bucket list"?  Rather than give an answer that can easily be tossed aside or criticized, let us turn our attention to the Bible.

In Luke 19 we read "He entered Jericho and was passing through..." (Lk19:1) - the He is Jesus.  On the surface it seems this chapter records a chance encounter between Zacchaeus and Jesus of Nazareth.  Granted, this chance encounter did forever change the life of Zacchaeus (Lk19:9).  In fact, this chance encounter also immediately impacted the lives of many others (cf. Lk19:8).  Furthermore, based on Luke's emphasis on outcasts and money (and from what we know about how the early Church used everything at her disposal to help others), it is very likely many helped monetarily by Zacchaeus also had their lives forever changed as they experienced the love and grace of God through an individual.  And just think, all of this happened simply by chance as Jesus was merely "passing through" - right?  A chance encounter which ultimately lead to the salvation of - only God knows how many - people...

It is true Jesus impacted people wherever He went.  Yet when we look at the word for "passing through" in the text, this passage suddenly looks different.  The Greek word dierchomai, translated as "passing through" in Luke 19:1, is used 42 times in the Greek New Testament; 30 of those are in Luke-Acts.  This is somewhat interesting.  Yet it gets more interesting when we look at how the word for "passing through" is used - it seems to be a technical term used by Luke.  With few exceptions the word clearly describes a specific purpose for going from one place to another.  Most commonly the specific purpose is to spread the good news of Jesus and/or the Kingdom of God  (e.g., Lk2:15; 9:6; Acts8:40; 11:19; 13:6,14; 15:3,41).

Therefore, on His way to Jerusalem where Jesus knows He will soon suffer and die, He specifically chooses to "pass through" Jericho.  Why?  What seems interesting yet unclear comes into focus when we consider a few other encounters Jesus had with people of wealth in the gospel of Luke.  Early on Jesus encounters Levi who follows Him and throws a party with his wealth because Jesus has changed his life (Lk5:27-39).  Later Jesus tells of a "rich fool" who died facing judgment because of hoarding his money (Lk12:13-21), and of a "rich man" who would not part with his money for the sake of the Kingdom of God - therefore by implication he did not enter into It (Lk18:18-30).  In between these accounts are two parables, both of which focus on money (the "dishonest" steward in Lk16:1-13, and the rich man and Lazarus in Lk16:19-31).

In other words, Luke presents an individual who responds well with his wealth (Levi), followed by a series of people who do not (well, except for the "dishonest" steward - but that is another issue), followed by Z acchaeus - another who responded well to the call of Jesus on his life in spite of his (tremendous) wealth.  After meeting Jesus, Zacchaeus leveraged what he had prostituted himself for all of his life (i.e., he chased money) for the glory of God by providing for those who could not provide for themselves.

So, what does this do to a "bucket list" for those of us who live in the most affluent culture in the history of the world?  Please ponder (and comment); I will share a thought or two tomorrow...

Gospel Avengers?

Earlier this week I finally gave in; my wife and I went to see The Avengers.  OK, that is not entirely true... but we did see The Avengers (something we both wanted to do).

I usually try and relax whenever I see a movie.  In fact, at times I come close to being alarmed with how much of an escape a movie can be for me.  Yet that is another issue (and maybe another post).  Nevertheless, I share that because I do not seek to evaluate every twist and turn, figure things out in advance, etc.  Quite often I like to simply be along for the ride.  Yet early in The Avengers a few things stood out so blatantly that I am compelled to comment on them.  While the quotes will not be verbatim, the concepts are accurate.

Relatively early in the movie the "key" villain, Loki, mentioned he came with an announcement of "good tidings".  In other words he came with an announcement of good news...or a gospel.  A bit later Loki derides humans for how their "pursuit of freedom is enslaving them" and how they were "made to be ruled and to submit".  Who would have ever thought such deep concepts - and truth - would make their way into a superhero movie?

First let us quickly take the "good tidings" comment.  Christianity does not have a corner market on the Greek word euangelion (from which we get "good news" or "gospel" - hence Loki's "good tidings").  It is a term that for Rome could announce Caesar's birthday or a victory in battle; basically things that were "good" for the advancement of Rome (which meant the opposite for many others).  The concept is much the same for the Jewish people.  In other words, the "good news" is good (or bad) based on context; good for some yet bad for others.  This is true in the New Testament too.  All that is encompassed by God's "good news" is indeed bad news for the kingdom of darkness.  Therefore, Loki (as a 'god') does bring good news (a side note, it is interesting how he takes captive some key individuals early in the film - cf. 2Cor4).  It just so happens many would disagree with Loki's assessment that the news he brings is good (hence the movie).  Yet we should not write it off so quickly...

Loki is correct in his assessment that the pursuit of freedom is enslaving people.  There will (perhaps) be another time to address that issue.  Yet for now we will simply acknowledge "freedom" is a slippery word.  It certainly cannot mean the ability to do whatever one desires because that will quickly turn into a lack of freedom for others.  In this case freedom is defined by the one with the bigger stick - which is the way the kingdoms of the world roll.  

Loki is also correct in his assessment that humanity is "made to be ruled and to submit."  Indeed, this is biblical truth.  When humanity seeks to throw off restraint and "be free" they pass from one (benevolent and loving) Ruler to another (malevolent and hateful) ruler.  We are either seeking to continually submit to God's rule (cf. the concept of the Kingdom of God), or we are being deceived by Satan.  Humanity was made to submit to the rule of God.  Unfortunately, far too often we choose our own way because we are deceived and pursuing an illusion of freedom - which only lands us in Satan's web of deceit and chains of addictions.

This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday.  Praise God for the gift of His Spirit which can make our hearts new and continually guide us.  When I look at a list of what flows out of the heart (e.g., Mk7:21-22) it can be depressing.  Fortunately God's grace can bring victory as we cast off the foolish lust for (the illusion of) freedom and submit to the One who brought true "good news" to the world.  May the coming of the Spirit we celebrate this Sunday empower us to be heralds of the best news ever...God is making all things new!  Fortunately, as the crowning point of His creation, that includes you and me.  Mind-boggling...but praise God for it!!!

Answered Prayers...

What if God answered all of the prayers you prayed today with a "yes" - what would happen?  I do not remember when I first heard that question.  I would give the person credit...but I am sure he or she heard it from someone else too.  

What if God said "yes" to your prayers?  Would the Kingdom of God have grown and reclaimed captives from the kingdom of darkness thanks to your prayers today?  Would people you know have confessed sin and reconciled with another?  Would the hungry have been fed?  Would the abused have found relief?  Would addictions have been broken?  Would the forgotten have found love and acceptance?  Or, would you have gotten a better parking spot at the mall?  Would you have found your lost keys a bit quicker?  Would you have gotten a better score on that exam?  Would...

All of my girls are asleep right now (Melissa - wife; Ellei - 3yrs & 4mo; Charis - 8.5mo).  I am usually not a night owl.  In many ways (some may disagree with this, but) I could be...yet I know sleep is important for me; so quite often I go to bed earlier even if I am wide awake.

Not long ago I spent time praying over all of them - my girls.  I will not go into a great amount of detail, but the largest portion of my prayer included them to a) have an accurate view of God as Father, to b) be sure of who they are "in Christ", and to c) be truly conformed and guided by the Holy Spirit.  Why those things?

Before I answer "a" let me say this.  All parents wound their children - in some way.  There is not a person alive who has not, in some way shape or form, left their home environment "unscathed".  I should also add that the overwhelming majority of the time (though I may be heartbroken to learn the truth) the wounding is unintentional.  The truth is hurt and wounded people hurt and wound others.  It is a vicious cycle.

So why pray my girls have an accurate view of God as Father?  Among other things this will help them to run to Him instead of from Him.  It will help them rest in His love, grace, and acceptance rather than think they have to perform to earn His approval.  It will help them to trust Him - even when life does not make sense.  I know I am flawed, and while I hope my love toward Ellei and Charis (leaving my main "girl" - Melissa, my wife - aside for a moment) will help them to understand God on some level, I do not want my failures to hinder them from truly knowing God as Father (or slanting their view of Him as Father).

Why pray for them to know who they are "in Christ"?  Because being "in Christ" is what truly matters.  In Him we have forgiveness, acceptance, access to the Father, and Spiritual Gifts (to name a few).  When one is sure of being "in Christ", it becomes their identity.  An identity will tell a person know what to do.  I trust knowing who they are "in Christ" will keep my girls from being shaped by the world - which will only let them down, or worse...

Why pray for them to be truly conformed and guided by the Holy Spirit?  Because apart from the Holy Spirit we can do nothing for the Kingdom of God.  Apart from the Holy Spirit a person seeking to live for God is likely among the most miserable people on the face of the planet.  I want my girls to be full of joy as they serve their King...their Father...in the power of His Holy Spirit.  

There are more reasons for praying those three things; I may flesh them out more later.  Yet I also know I am in need for a continual reality check in relation to God as Father and my identity "in Christ" as I am transformed by the Spirit for His glory.

Unsure...Confused...Pressure... Disappointed...Resting

If you frequent this page there is no need to state the obvious - but I will - I am sporadic with my posts.  By the way, I am typing this on the fly...so I hope there is coherency to what you will read.  But I have reflected some on why I am so sporadic.

#1) I am often unsure of myself.  I certainly do not want to put something "out there" that is inaccurate.  I want to be thorough and develop a point, but yet not be cumbersome and lose people.  Where is the balance?  Can I do this?

#2) I am confused by my motives.  A "loose goal" of mine is to be a published author.  In order to do this I need to write, a lot, and blogging is a way to accomplish this.  Yet why do I want to publish?  Is this a desire God has given me?  Is this a desire I have for selfish reasons?  Would "my material" be of help to people and further the Kingdom of God?

#3) I put pressure on myself.  E.g., I go through periods of struggling to simply read the Bible.  I struggle because if I am reading I think, "I need to make use of my time," so I want to trace a theme, etc.  While this can be good...it can also lead to paralysis (for me) because, "what theme?".  In relation to blogging I have thought, "Seriously, I posted two weeks ago now...I need to post something..."  Then comes...

#4) I am disappointed in myself.  This is a killer for me.  Why not simply read and enjoy the Bible or a book?  Why think I need to publish another post?  I can even be disappointed that I am disappointed in myself.  This leads to...

I have recently learned, both more fully and for the first time, that I am at my best when the pressure is off.  You will notice #'s 1-4 start with "I".  The overwhelming majority of the time any "pressure" I feel comes from me.  I may expand on this later...  Yet does God want me to feel pressure?  Or does God want me to rest and live pressure free as I trust in His grace?

When I rest in His grace I am most free.  I am free to think, free to create, free to have the Holy Spirit say "Hey, look at this" as I read in the Bible (or anything), free to enjoy nature, free to enjoy time with others instead of thinking of a myriad of other things I could be doing.  In short I am free to be the person He created me to be...one who realizes a personal need for grace and lives a life shaped by it.  

In summary - my sporadicism is because of my immaturity.  Thankfully God is bigger than that.  

Christmas or Christmas Season? [3]

For the last time until next December, Merry Christmas!!  Oh I know it seems like Christmas was like a year ago now [hahaha ;) ].  Yet it truly is still Christmas!!! 

Again, I say this because Christmas is a season, not merely a day.  The Christmas Season, of which there are 12 days, ends today with Epiphany.  Therefore many churches will celebrate Epiphany this coming Sunday.  The distinction between the Christmas Season and the cultural way of celebrating Christmas is significant – even if someone in our culture seeks to keep a focus on Jesus.  The reality is a day can be quickly forgotten once it is gone, no matter how good it was.  Granted, a focus on a day can produce many great memories.  Yet a season – a celebration – can make more than great memories.  Indeed, it can lay a foundation for a longer lasting impact while setting the stage for godly memories to be made for generations to come. 

So what if we really worked at celebrating the Christmas Season?  Now I suppose a way many would be thrilled to do this is if we took 12 days off as opposed to one (well, all but the self-employed that is).  Yet I am not talking about 11 more days of vacation.  I am talking about continually pondering, and seeking to implement, implications of the Incarnation.  The truth that nearly 2,000 years ago Jesus came to earth and lived among us is life-altering.  The Anointed One of God, the savior, the Christ – the King, living among us…showing us how to live…bringing people into community…showing us how to love…showing us how to confront religious distortions and apathy…indeed showing us what it means to be truly human.  

Epiphany is the climax of the Christmas Season.  It recalls the coming of the Wisemen, or Magi, to see Jesus the toddler.  Ah yes, the King of the world…quite unassuming with skinned knees and more than a few bruises on his little body no doubt.  While we do not know for certain, it is believed these Magi came from the area of Babylon.  The significance of this blossoms when we begin to see what Matthew is showing us in his gospel in conjunction with some things in the book of Daniel.  Succinctly, Matthew is showing Jesus as King.  These Magi show up and worship the toddling Jesus as a King.  These Magi were Gentiles – i.e., not of Jewish ethnicity.  This foreshadows the inclusive nature of God’s Kingdom which Jesus came to establish.  Now let us turn to Daniel.

Daniel clearly shows the sovereignty of God despite current circumstances.  On the surface it seems the gods of Babylon have proven to be more powerful than the God of Israel, YHWH.  After all, Israel is now in exile.  Yet in chapter one verse two we read, “And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand…”  The “his hand” is Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon from verse one.  In other words, while it may appear “old Nebby-K” is ruling and calling the shots, YHWH is truly in charge.  The reason why Israel/Judah was in exile was their lack of worship, and all it entails, of YHWH.  This makes certain scenes in Daniel beautifully ironic as God works in such ways that pagan people praise His greatness when His own covenant people did not.  One example of this is toward the end of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s encounter with a blazing hot fire (or Rack, Shack and Benny if you are a Veggie Tales fan).  After God saves these three, Nebuchadnezzar blesses their God (Dan3:28) and then says, “Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue (save) in this way.” – High praise indeed for the one true God. 

Now consider this.  Daniel and his three friends (Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) had other encounters with the people of Babylon.  These encounters included the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and Chaldeans (cf. Dan2:2) – all of whom were confronted with a God more powerful than anything they could imagine.  More than likely some of these people began to worship this “God of gods and Lord of kings” (cf. Dan2:47).  Daniel tells of “one like a Son of Man” in chapter seven coming to the earth to receive a kingdom.  This “one like a Son of Man” is also the rock of chapter two which breaks the grand statue (representing kingdoms of the earth – including Babylon) in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to pieces.  And in Matthew’s gospel (written primarily for a Jewish audience) he shows Magi (from the area of Babylon) showing up to worship this foretold King.  This is beyond cool – this is revolutionary. 

Epiphany celebrates the “revealing” of the Christ to the Gentiles (i.e., all not ethnically Jewish).  As such it looks ahead to the reason why The Church exists – to advance the Kingdom of God everywhere for everyone.  What a fitting climax to the significance of the Christmas Season!!! 

I am certain you have heard there were three Wisemen (Magi) – e.g., “We Three Kings of Orient Are”.  Yet you will not find that number in the second chapter of Matthew.  You will find three gifts, but more than likely Matthew highlighted those three because of their significance.  At any rate, let us go along with this tradition and say the “three kings” were Caspar, Balthasar and Melchior.  A symbol for Epiphany, which is often painted above the entry door to a house in some cultures, is +C+B+M+  

The symbols are as follows: the cross (+) represents Christ, the letters (C,B,M) represent the supposed names of the (supposed) three Magi.  Added to this symbol is the year – so for us it would be 20+C+B+M+12.  Since in this symbol the letters represent the three Magi (Gentiles) who came to worship the true King let us add an accurate twist to the symbol.  [Also, I am not saying to put this over the entry door to your house – a piece of paper you carry with you, display somewhere visible to you, perhaps put in your Bible (i.e., multiple copies) will suffice.]  

Try this: write out the symbol but put in the first letter of the names of three people you know who need to submit themselves to Jesus and truly worship the King (e.g., 20+__+__+__+12).  Pray for these people regularly; ask God to continue to work in their lives, to open their eyes to His love and majesty, to work in you to speak when the time is right and show the love of Jesus at all times to them.  After all, all who are Gentiles now are those who are not a part of the people of God.  I.e., it is no longer ethnicity that makes one a child of God (thank you Jesus). 

This is an accurate focus on the implications of the Incarnation.  There are people, we all know, who need to come and truly worship the King.  Oh what a way to live out the Lordship of Jesus in this New Year. 

Merry Christmas and Holy Epiphany to you!!  May God grant us the strength to follow through with the things to which He will call us.