Whatever is honorable....

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Phil. 4:8

Honor [on-er] -noun : honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs or actions

 In honor of the Haloween tradition, thousands of children will dress up in costumes and talk to strangers in order to get buckets of candy. We have acre after acre of funeral homes where we honor the dead. We have medals of honor, honorable mention, and honor roll. We honor the flag, our ancestors, our traditions, other's wishes, veterans, and whoever is celebrating the day they were born. Our society says a lot about honor. But what does the world know about honor? We live in a world that is lacking honesty, fairness, and integrity.

So, what does the Bible say? How do we counteract this trend?

I Peter 2:17 says, "Honor everyone...Honor the emperor." In this one verse God tells us the criteria for who is deserving of honor. Everyone. From the lowliest of people to the most powerful man in the world, they are deserving of honor. No person made in God's image is deserving of gossip, backstabbing, violence, immodesty, lies, or any other sinful action in their direction. Regardless of their behavior, political views, religious beliefs, economic situation, or appearance, they are deserving of respect because they are part of God's creation. This includes ourselves. Many people have a harder time honoring themselves than they do others. We must remember that we too are God's creation. We are living sacrifice. We are his temple. We shouldn't defile our bodies with impurities, our minds with worldly wisdom, and our hearts with negativity and hate.

But most importantly, we are to honor God and the Savior he sent. John 5:22-23 says, "The Father judges no one, but has given judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him."

God is truth. God and all he has created and all he has done for us is deserving of utmost honor. Think about these things.

"...but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy..."

I Peter 3:15

Whatever is true...

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things

Phil. 4:8

What is truth?

That seems to be the question of our time and no one seems to know the answer. However, society claims to have come up with a solution: there is no answer. This is postmodernism. The postmodern worldview is one of acceptance. No one is wrong. Everyone is doing the right thing, regardless of what they are doing. Postmodernism is lacking a strong foundation. First of all, it just doesn't make sense for everyone to be right. My monotheistic beliefs clearly contradict the polytheism found in Hinduism. There's no way that we could both be right. Secondly, the belief in absence of absolute truth is an absolute truth in itself. It's an oxymoron.

Truth was obviously a big deal to Christ, since that's why he humbled himself by coming to earth to suffer and die on our behalf. When Jesus was talking to Pilate hours before his execution he said to Pilate, "For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world- to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." Clearly Jesus believed in absolute truth, otherwise, he could have just maintained his glorious status as ruler of the world and not bothered to save our souls from hell, because it doesn't matter what everyone believes.

So, what is this truth? The "all paths to God" mentality is not upheld by the Bible, which clearly states that there is one narrow path to God- not 6 billion. Colossians 1 says, "Of this you have heard before in the word of truth, the gospel, which has come to you..." The truth is the gospel! The truth is the story of God creating people, the people separating themselves from him, and God bringing them back. That's truth.
God is truth. Think about these things.

"We cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth."

II Cor. 13:8

More than a character

Over Christmas break I'll be working as a character at Opryland for their Dreamworks Experience package for the holiday season. There will be characters from Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda. During training we put on the costumes and talk a lot about commitment to the character. As soon as that costume is on, we become that character. There's no breaking character, no removing of costume pieces, no talking like ourselves, and no standing still. 

Same goes for Christianity. When we put on the name of Christ, we become something totally different. We act differently, talk differently, live differently.

• We can't break character because we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. We have a world watching us and waiting for us to break down and become like they are, but we have to resist this temptation.
• We can't be seen in partial costume. Christianity is all or nothing. We are to lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely in order to glorify God. Every weight. We can't just stop lying and assume that makes up for our gossip. We can't just do the convenient things Christ calls us to do. We have to be in Him 100%.
• We can't act like ourselves, but we are to be conformed to his image. It's not about carrying his name on Sundays and carrying ours for the other 6 days of the week. It's about becoming more and more like Christ in every aspect of our lives (we learn how to do this from Scripture).
• We can't stand still. There is nothing about Christianity that is lazy or idle. We are to be busy at the work of the Lord, and there is always something to do. Whether it's worshipping, studying, visiting, evangelizing, serving, or numerous other things, we can never neglect what God has called us to do. While there is a time for rest, there is never a time to stop glorifying God and growing closer to Christ. There are no plateaus in Christianity- only closer to Christ and farther away.
• There's help in distress. When I'm in the costume it's hard to see, hear, feel, and breathe. I have to give up all of my senses and trust that my handler is going to lead me. The handler is outside the costume to guide me and if there is a problem inside the costume I have a special distress signal to alert my handler. The Scripture is our guide. It is a light in darkness that cannot be put out. It promises that we will not stumble if we walk in its light. Not only that, but Christ cares for us. He is able to sympathize with us in every way, even in the persecution he promises we'll endure. He is a constant and reassuring presence in every time of need.

There is one major difference though. We can't take off Christianity at the end of the day. It's a full time gig. But once we put it on and embrace it, we'll never want to take it off. Putting on Christ means gaining access to our omnipotent Creator and Savior who promises us eternal life in the light of his glory if we commit to him for our short lives.

Romans 13:14

"But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires."

Sin Sells

We often speak of the world as if it's naive of its wrongdoing, but that's simply not the case. Backyard Burger workers wear uniforms that say, "Guilt: Now Even Tastier." One of the biggest teen clothing lines is the Sinful brand. Axe slogans claim that they can wash off last night. TV shows revolve around partying, sex, revenge, gossip, laziness, and lack of purpose. There is no question that the world understands that what it is doing is wrong. Sin sells.

Proverbs 13:16 says, "In everything the prudent acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly."

We live in a world full of people who love to do wrong. So, what do we do about this? Firstly, don't support these brands that promote wrong. Be one less customer of folly. Be an example to the world and give them no cause to call you a hypocrite. The world knows the difference between right and wrong because they embrace wrong and are happy to accuse you of wrong. But mainly, be lovers of God and his way. Proverbs 15:9 says, "The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but he who loves him pursues righteousness." Lovers of God should not just avoid sin, but they should love doing right and glorifying God in the process. If we are people of a God that loves us unconditionally and is deserving of all praise for his grace and sacrifice, we should be in pursuit of his wisdom rather than walk with the fools of this world.

Celebrity

This is how people commemorated Michael Jackson's death:

This is how we commemorate Christ's death:

Alright, this may be a very broad generalization, but it's not too far from the truth. If staying awake in church is the standard for Christianity, there's a whole lot of people getting by on the bare minimum.

Isn't it interesting how much more passionate we get about our favorite sports team, musician, or Twilight than we do about our almighty Savior?

We dedicate a ton of money and time to these forms of entertainment, and if we get the chance to be in their presence, our attitudes change completely. Most people would not typically paint their bodies bright colors and yell at the top of their lungs, but a football game encourages it. We put our all into supporting our team, singing our favorite songs as loud as we can, and covering our cars in political bumper stickers. Shouldn't the same principle be true for our worship?

Malachi 1:6-8 says, "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, 'How have we despised your name?'  By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, 'How have we polluted you?' By saying that the LORD’s table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts."

Not only that, but he tells his people that they should shut the doors of the temple if they are going to offer such things to him. God wants  our best in every aspect and he will accept no less. He wants better gifts than what you give on Christmas. He wants a stronger defender than you are for your political party. He wants more enthusiasm than you have for your team. He wants us to be more excited about reading his book than getting an autograph. He doesn't want us to idolize anyone or anything but him. Anything less just isn't good enough. If we aren't giving our all to worshipping him, whether it be a church service or being living sacrifices, he doesn't want it. If we aren't worshipping in spirit and truth we shouldn't bother worshipping at all.

Michael Jackson was talented, but he never did anything for me. Christ created the world, saw that it was sinful, and humbled himself to the point of death so that he could save it (and me). Who deserves our praise?

Finding Yourself

As a senior in high school I hear a lot about how my time in high school and college will be spent "finding myself." I don't think anyone really knows what that means, but they sure do say it a lot. I'm constantly told that I should travel, study, and experiment in order to "find myself." Not only that, but it's my understanding that "finding myself" will be a lifelong and constantly changing experience. Interestingly enough, the Bible says quite the opposite. Matthew 10:39 says,

"Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

I don't need to spend the rest of my life worrying about who I am or what I'm supposed to do with my life. I don't need to study 5011 different subjects in order to figure out what I'm interested in. I don't have to be like Thoreau and hide myself away in a cabin for a year in order to prioritize my life. I don't have to go through a gamut of careers to find my one certain destiny. I just have to serve God and trust that his plan is greater than mine and that he is in total control. In order to find myself I have to get lost in Christ. Rather than finding myself and fulfilling my desires, I need to commit my life to finding Christ and fulfilling his calling. I don't need to find myself to become myself. I need to lose myself to become more like Christ. I lose myself for him because he lost everything for me.

Demas

Demas is only mentioned 3 times in the New Testament, yet he is the image of a huge portion of young Christians. In Philemon 1 Paul is in prison and references Demas as one of his fellow workers. Demas is working diligently with Paul for the cause of Christ, though it means persecution and maybe death. He is equal with Paul. Demas is still hanging out with Paul in the letter to the Colossians, but he doesn't get the same recognition. While Luke is called "the beloved physician" in chapter 4, Demas is merely mentioned as sending a greeting. Finally, II Timothy 4:10 says, "Demas, in love with the present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica."

Demas was 100% committed as a young Christian. He was willing to go the distance for God. Then he got caught up in the world. God became second priority and then he wasn't a priority at all. That's the way most Christians I know are. They are so in love with the thought of a perfect and loving God that they'd do anything to glorify God. Then reality sinks in. The Bible is a book that calls Christians to take up their cross and follow Christ, even to death. It calls them to separate themselves from everything and everyone who separates them from God (family included). It calls them to give up all that they love more than Christ, even if that means selling every material possession. It calls them to endure difficult persecution, suffering, and trials. It calls them to be different from the world and to be hated by the world.

Christianity is certainly not easy. But rest assured that there is great reward in glorifying God both in this life and the next. God designed us to worship him, and fulfilling our purpose fills us with unfathomable joy. God blesses us in infinite ways and is constantly able to guide us, fight our battles, and lift us up. In Christ there is also the promise of an eternal life in the presence of God, which is far better than anything the present world could ever claim offer.

Who's Worthy?

CAUTION: You're about to look at a dead sheep.

This is one of my super awesome "first day of school" pictures:



This is a rather disgusting freshly-slaughtered sheep carcass

Study both of these pictures. Which one is better?

I know I'm not the most attractive person in the whole world, but I'd like to think that I'm better looking than a dead sheep. I have higher morals than that sheep, I'm more talented than that sheep, I have greater world influence than that sheep, I have more power than that sheep, and I can beat that sheep in about a million other contests. Generally speaking, I would consider myself better than that nasty sheep.

Yet it is this image that the Bible uses in Revelation 5 to emphasize how incredible God is and how contemptible we are.

¹Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. ²And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?"

John has a vision of Heaven. The angels have in their possession a scroll with seven seals. Regardless of what that means, I'll tell you that it's important. This isn't something that just anybody can handle. The angels can't even open it, so they must find someone worthy of opening it.

³And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, ⁴and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.

No one in all of Heaven and all of Earth was worthy of even looking into the scroll. Not the pope, not the holiest of elders, and not the angels.There is world-changing magnificence in this scroll, but no one can see it because no one is worthy of opening it.

 ⁵And one of the elders said to me, "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals."

Finally! Someone is worthy of opening the scroll. A lion- a symbol of power- from the greatest tribe of Israel of the greatest lineage is going to open the scroll.

⁶And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne.

Oops. This sheep must be really lost. Sheep aren't exactly known for their intelligence, and this one must not have heard about the importance of that scroll. There's a lion coming to open it. The epitome of greatness and prestige is coming to open the scroll, not a slaughtered lamb with 7 horns and 7 eyes.

⁸And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹And they sang a new song, saying,

   "Worthy are you to take the scroll
   and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
   from every tribe and language and people and nation,
¹⁰and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
   and they shall reign on the earth."

What? This dead sheep is the only one in all creation worthy of opening the scroll? Not a lion? Not a king? A dead sheep?

¹¹Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹²saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!" ¹³And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!" ¹⁴And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped.

We will never be better than the lamb who was slain. No matter how many good deeds we do or how much we love God, we are still less than the Lamb of God. We are worthy of absolutely nothing, but he is worthy of everything. No one in this world receives salvation without him and his humble death. There is nothing that anyone could ever do to deserve God's infinite grace, but Christ-the Lamb-died so that we might have access to it.

The perks of being crazy

Legendary soldier Bill Millin, better known as Piper Bill, was personal piper to Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat, commander of the 1st Special Service Brigade in World War II. He is best known for his courageous actions on D-Day. In WWII, the position of piper was usually reserved for Scots and Irishmen, and they were restricted to the very back areas of the fighting troops. That didn't sit well with Lord Lovat. As German machine guns were killing Americans left and right, Lovat commanded Millin to play on the front lines, hoping to boost the morale of his men. He played "Highland Lassie" and "Road to the Isles" as he successfully dodged all enemy fire. Some time later when speaking to German POWs, Millin learned that he had not been shot because the German soldiers "thought he was crazy" and found him entertaining.

Paul had a similar experience in Acts 26 when appearing before Festus, attempting to defend himself.

"And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind." But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words.For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner."

Festus thought Paul was crazy, and for good reason. Paul claimed that a light from heaven came down to him and convicted him of the gospel, which consists of an omnipotent being creating the world and later sending his son to die and resurrect himself so that all humanity could have eternally life in the glorious presence of God. If you truly believe that (and therefore live as if it's true), then most people will probably think you're crazy. You can't explain forgiveness, unconditional love, or joyful sacrifice to a person that doesn't understand Christ. Not only will they think you're insane, but you'll be on the front lines of battle, and they're going to attack you. But this crazy devotion and obedience to our perfect God is what will save your soul.

Smarter Than Me

Radio host Harold Camping, the man known for predicting several different dates for the end of the world, did several video interviews in the days leading up to the infamous May 21, 2011. One radio phone-in recorded was of a woman who had been watching a lot of news about Harold Camping and his history of incorrect predictions. She told Camping that seen a lot of negative press about him, but that is what led her to believing that he was correct. She said, "I figured, 'Well, he's smarter than me, so I'll listen to him.'"

This is the problem with most Christians. Rather than dig into the Scriptures and hear what God is saying, we rely on the flawed words of man. II Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correcting, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."

God has breathed out his perfect word, and it can save all souls and withstand all criticism. Not only that, but the verse says that the man of God can be competent with it. He did not say, "only those educated," or "only Bible scholars" can be equipped. All of God's people are capable of handling the Scriptures with confidence. Why would we take a human's word over this? The Bereans of Acts 17 searched the Scripture when Paul preached to them, because they wanted to make sure that they were following God and not Paul. To me, if anyone could preach the gospel correctly, it would be Paul. But he was still human and needed to be held to the standard of the Bible. Paul goes on to say in I Corinthians 1 that listening to men encourages divisions within the church.

^"For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.What I mean is that each one of you says, "I follow Paul," or "I follow Apollos," or "I follow Cephas," or "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power."

We should be dedicated to learning more about God and his love so that we may come to love him more. Preachers, scientists, and motivational speakers did not die for the sake of our salvation. Christ, the Word, did. Though men lead us to know more, we must make sure that they too are seeking God's truth and love in his Word, not a self-seeking opinion or misinterpretation.

Random Lessons from Amos

I hate to assume, but I assume that most of us don't spend a whole lot of time in the book of Amos. So, here's a  non-exhaustive run-through of what it has to say:

1) God doesn't call upon the talented, uber-religious to do his work. He calls regular men.

Amos was an ordinary sheep-breeder. But Amos 7:14 says, "I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to My people Israel.'" Amos was just living his life, like many of us are. Then God called him to do something greater. God called him to exceed his own expectations and bring the words of God to a nation in trouble. We are just as capable of doing great things for Christ. We are just like the fishermen who became apostles, David who became a king and a man after God's own heart, and Paul who spread God's word.

2) The world doesn't want to hear what God has to say, and they will let you know it.

Amos tried to save an entire nation with the prophesies of God. He didn't want to harm anyone, but rather save them. But Amos 7:10 shows the response. "Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent word to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, 'Amos has conspired against you right here in the house of Israel. The land cannot endure all his words..." Amos was trying to do the right thing. He was trying to follow God's will. He was trying to save a nation from destruction. But no one wanted to hear it. In fact, the priest, the man who was supposed to be closest to God, accused him of trying to overthrow the kingdom. Christians often experience this whether it be evangelizing or just living the life of a Christian. People want to bring us down in whatever way they can because they feel threatened. They don't want to know that the way they are living is wrong. The world prefers to live in ignorance than to be saved by the Word of God.

3) God cares for the poor and we should as well.

Many people who criticize the belief in God point out poverty in the world. They say that a loving God could not exist, and if he does, he certainly doesn't care about the poor. I think God put the poor into the world so that he may be glorified through them and through service to them. Israel was being drastically punished because they "oppress the poor and crush the needy," among many other things. God was taking huge measures to make sure that the destitute of the world were taken care of and that those who neglected this responsibility were punished.

4) God uses both good and bad to draw us to him.

In Chapter 2, God points out all that he has done for the nation of Israel. He destroyed the Amorite, brought slaves out of Egypt, led them through the wilderness, raised of prophets and Nazarites, and more. But they did not remember these deeds. He then draws attention to all of the bad things that have happened to Israel, that should have strengthened the faith, but didn't. The plague of locust, war, and fire could not remind Israel of their omnipotent God. We too need to remember our God in both good times in bad.

5) Walking with God means knowing God.

When we become Christians we begin a walk of faith. But Amos 3:3 says, "Can two walk together without agreeing to meet?" We can't walk with God without knowing his word, talking to him, and obeying his commands.

6) God doesn't care about our worship if we aren't worshipping in spirit and truth.

We spend a lot of time doing the right thing because that's what we feel like we're supposed to do or that's what makes us look good. Amos 4:4 says, "Come to Bethel and rebel; rebel even more at Gilgal! Bring your sacrifices every morning, your tenths every three days. Offer leavened bread as a thank offering and loudly proclaim your freewill offerings, for that is what you Israelites love to do! This is the Lord's declaration."

Christianity is not a "to-do" list. It is a lifestyle that revolves around glorifying Christ.

7) We will die without God's life-giving power.

In Amos 8 God compares Israel to a basket of summer fruit. They have been pulled from the tree and left to rot. If we are not connected to God, we'll be nothing. God provides our life source in his word and his strength. He is our support, our nourishment, and our life. God went on to say that there would soon be a famine in the land- not from food or water, but from the Word of God. Christians need it to survive in the world, and all souls need it to survive eternity.

"Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and the Lord, the God of Hosts, will be with you, as you have claimed. Hate evil and love good; establish justice in the gate. Perhaps the Lord, the God of Hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph."

Amos 5:14-15