Man of Steel?

I have long had a working theory of life that says, ‘women are much stronger than men.’ I have seen this born out again and again in other people. It flies in the face of Victorian thinking of women as ‘the fairer sex.’ This last week, it was brought to life in a very real way for me.

I observed this from an early age. Whenever someone died in our community, there was a machine that began moving. Women came around each other, cooking meals, comforting each other, dropping kids off at school, and cleaning house for the hurting family. The men always seemed to hang out in another room laughing and joking, however, even from an early age, I saw the tightness around their eyes and the speed to anger during these times. They never faced the pain and never dealt with the loss.

When I was first out of high school, I worked for a time as an apprentice to a blacksmith. One thing I learned about steel is that if you expose it over time to heat in a process called annealling, the steel is stronger because it is flexible. But, if you take steel and suddenly heat it and suddenly cool it, it becomes brittle and will break or shatter.

As I have grown, especially since working in ministry, I have observed this more and more in people. Women are like willows along a river bank, bending in the wind, supporting each other through intertwined branches. Men try to stand alone against troubles and end up breaking when it becomes too much. Obviously, there is some generalization to this, but I can say that experience has shown me that this is more true than not.

There is a reason that you see many more single moms than single dads. This could be the reason that many widowers follow their wives into the grave within a few months, but many widows continue on for years. It likely has some bearing on the difference in life expectancy for men versus women.

As a husband and dad, the hardest thing for me is to see my wife or daughters hurting. I want to take the pain away, to protect them, no matter what it takes. I would walk through broken glass, run through fire, or stand in the way of a bullet to save any one of them. I have long been a man who could handle emergencies, keeping a cool head when others lose theirs, seeing the route out of trouble and directing others when the going gets rough.

But, what do I do when the chips are on the table and there is nothing I can do to affect the outcome? How do I deal with that place where physical strength and mental knowledge are useless to make a difference. What happens when it is my wife or child on the line and there isn’t anything I can do about it? That’s where I find my breaking point.

This last week, I watched my wife show a strength beyond what I ever realized that she had. She had practiced pregnancy exercises, relaxation techniques, pushing past pain. Together we educated ourselves on the issues of birth and pregnancy and made choices on the care and medical intervention that we wanted. When it came time for labor and delivery, she heroically faced 26 hours of intensifying contractions without medications that might harm the baby. She handled it well.

We had two ladies with us who handled it all well too. Zabrina, our doula stayed through the whole experience, supporting, encouraging, and educating us. Our dear friend Kris was also there, helping out, timing contractions, and encouraging Becky.

I handled it well too. I was there for the education and practice (not to mention the conception). I exhorted her, encouraged her, and took care of her. I prayed with her, rubbed her back, talked her through the pain, told her how beautiful she was, held her hand, and brushed her hair. I stayed strong, buoyed by her example. If she could handle the pain well, then I could walk by her side and help her through it.

That was all well and good until the circumstances were taken out of our hands. After 19 hours, she was dilated 9 cm and almost there, but six hours later, there was still no change and the contractions were not strengthening to push the baby out. Her blood pressure was getting dangerously high and she was weakening. Two doctors were in conflict as to what to do. One suggested Pitocyn to increase the contractions. Our doctor was called and he said that could be very dangerous, possibly hurting the baby or my wife because he believed the baby was stuck (shoulder dystocia). As they began to discuss the risks and dangers to both mom and baby...

I broke.

I have known two men who went home from the hospital as single fathers of a brand new born baby with no wife due to death during or after delivery. It still happens.

The combination of being awake for 40 hours and physically and emotionally charged for 26 of those hours had stripped away any defenses that I had.

I broke.

I laid down with my wife and held her, wanting to protect her to take the damage on myself.

I broke.

The nurses and doctors came and went, but I wasn’t much use.

I broke.

Fortunately, my wife stayed strong and helped make the decisions. Fortunately, Zabrina and Kris stayed strong and helped through those important moments. Fortunately the doctor and the nurses did their duty well. My beautiful wife and my lovely new daughter are safe and healthy.

I recognize the truth of male weakness in this area. I’m not sure what lesson to take away from it all, I can only share my observations at this point.

From now on, I hope that all I have to face involves easy stuff like bullets, flames, and broken glass. These I can handle. Just like Lois Lane to Superman and Mary Jane to Spiderman, the women in my life are my greatest strength and greatest weakness. I'm just glad that I have such a tough wife who is able to leap tall buildings and stop trains with her bare hands.

Thank you Becky, Thank you Zabrina, Thank you Kris, Thank you Dr. Holeman and most importantly, Thank you dear Lord.

The Lesson of the Sextant

Do you feel lost in life, adrift in seas of trouble?

Sailors have long depended on a tool called the sextant to help them know where they are and where they need to go.

Don't know what a sextant is? In this day of GPS systems, navigational computers in cars, accurate maps available on the internet, and air travel; most people never learn what one is.

Hundreds of years ago, sailors who wanted to go from one place to another had to have a way to find their way back home. Maps weren’t especially dependable, and there weren’t any of the other tools that we depend on today. So, they depended on an instrument called a sextant. The sextant is an instrument that lets you take a measurement of a star such as Polaris or of the sun in relation to the horizon. By knowing where these heavenly bodies are in relation to the horizon near your home port lets you know how far north or south of this point you are. Thus, you can know your latitude. As you travel further away from home, you can always look to the heavens and take a measurement. Then, you merely sail back towards your own latitude and then make a turn right or left to get back home.

In life, you will stray far from where you started. Yet no matter how far you go, you can always find your way if you but focus on heaven for guidance. When you have drifted far on the seas of life, buffeted by the storms of trouble; when you feel that you are most lost with no land in site, no rock to stand on; stop and take a bearing from the one constant – God. In Him, you will find the direction that you need to go. To find your way on earth, look to heaven.

Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.

Psalm 61:1-3

"Men know that the sea is dangerous and the storms are terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient enough reason for remaining ashore"

I wrote this devotional in 2003 as an encouragement for a friend as she was off to school at the Merchant Marine Academy. She traveled some troubled seas herself and is now back in landlocked Phoenix, but will likely travel again. I just stumbled upon my original and thought I'd post it. Dedicated to Liana W.

The Keys to the Church

Why do you go to church?

There are probably lots of reasons: worshipping God, seeing friends, learning about the Bible, tradition, getting a break from the kids, comfort, hope, or just a chance to eat some of Carol’s delicious ginger snaps at the hospitality table. All of these are excellent reasons, but I have two more for you to consider that are absolutely key to your walk with Christ.

Ask yourself a question, “What do I remember from last Sunday’s sermon?” Can you remember the scripture that the pastor preached? Can you remember any of his points? Was it inspiring, did it affect your life? Did the communion meditation touch you? If you have kids, did they learn anything in Sunday school?

Transformation is the goal of each of these examples of teaching God’s word, not information. When you study God’s word, it must lead to transformation, to growth within your life. Maybe not every time, but most times, there should be some sort of resulting growth from your encounter with God. This is the proverbial ‘AHA Moment’. The time when God’s Word and His Holy Spirit come together, making you realize that you need to change or grow.

Application is the next step. When you hear God’s Word, you are called to be obedient and do something about it. Scripture is full of action verbs: “make disciples”, “do as I have commanded”, “love one another”, “give generously”, “serve one another”, “use your gifts”. Christian life is not passive pew-sitting on Sundays, but an active way of life throughout your week. What we learn on Sunday transforms us in growth and we apply it throughout the rest of the week.
Transformation and Application go hand in hand. If you don’t come to some sort of transformation then you don’t realize how to apply what you have learned. Even better, as you apply what you have learned, it often leads to more transformation in your life.

Let me strongly encourage you to consider these two keys, Tranformation and Application at your next Bible study or when you come to Church next Sunday. Look at yourself and ask, “Am I growing and am I doing?” Then, make it a point to focus on what you are studying or what the sermon is about. Take notes. Go to lunch afterwards with a friend from the church and discuss the lesson and how to apply it in your lives. Decide together how each of you will apply the lesson this week and then talk about it next week to find out how you did. You will be amazed at how your life changes and at the excitement you will have in your Christian walk.

God loves you for who you are, but He wants you to grow and He wants you to do what His Word says. Take His calling to Transformation and Application seriously and you will have the keys to the church.

Originally written for 'The Mountain View' MVCC Newsletter 09/20/09
Copyright © 2009 Rodger S. Loar (rloar@mvccaz.com) All rights reserved.

Eavesdropping - Part II

7:00 am. Again, sitting in an almost empty classroom waiting for Biology class to start. Surfing the net on my laptop.

Girl 1 and Girl 2 are again sitting somewhere behind me having a conversation. The same two girls from the last Eavesdropping blog. (http://rodg3r.blogspot.com/2009/08/eavesdropping.html)

Girl 1, “You know, Jews don’t proselytize. They don’t push their religion off on other people. I really respect that.”

Girl 2, “ Yeah, me too.”

I have no idea who these girls are, but again, I wonder if they have ever really thought through their beliefs and ideas.

I want to ask the question, “If you believed in something that separated you from others, that changed your life, and ultimately gave you meaning and answers, as well as a promise of salvation from death…wouldn’t you want to share it with others? “

Penn Gillette, an outspoken atheist addressed this same question, asking, “How much would you have to hate someone not to proselytize them?

I see plenty of bumper-sticker Christianity out there, pithy sayings on cars, silly prayers before ball games, and contrived conversations to ‘lead people to Christ.’ I also see guys standing on street corners with megaphones and signs or sitting at basketball games with signs that say John 3:16.

I don’t want to be those people. I know my life, I know the person I was before I began following Jesus, and I know how far I’ve come. I want to share this.

I never did speak with those girls. I hope they learn to think through their beliefs and ideas.

I pray that someone who knows them and cares will share God’s love with them.

Ten Things I Wish for the Church

Ten Things I Wish For the Church

I did not grow up as a Christian. I just didn’t know anything about God. When I began to follow Jesus in my early 20s, I did not take his call passively. I got involved, I got moving, I got to work. Often, when I look at the church, I see people who sit in pews for an hour and then rush off back to their lives that are basically non-christian.

It makes me sad to see the waste of it all. If God’s people really took His call seriously on their lives, some amazing things could happen in our churches, neighborhoods, our nation and our world.

I wish…

Number 10: I Wish that Christians would give their time to God. Our society is so driven by busy-ness, rushing around to the next meeting, working two jobs, and getting our kids involved in every extracurricular activity possible, investing countless hours driving them everywhere and never mind their spiritual growth, their moral values, their peace of mind (or yours). Stop. Slow Down. Say no. Take time. Turn off the Television. Quit doing every hobby on earth. Tithe your time, that is give up enough of your busy-ness that you can use 10% (at least) of your time to do God’s work, to discuss values with your kids, to just spend time making a difference. AND, don’t forget to take some additional time in peace, rest, retreat, prayer, and relaxation.

Number 9: I Wish that Christians would break their love of money. This is another area where we have followed our society. We spend and spend and spend and then borrow more so that we can keep spending. We have to have Televisions in every room, the latest cars – two of them (along with the latest car loan), the biggest house (along with that gigantic mortgage), the coolest gadgets, iPods, Rock Band, vacations, maxed-out credit cards, travel, etc. etc. etc. Quit spending every dime you have and begin giving 10% (at least) to God’s work. Give to your local church, give to missions, give to homeless shelters, give to charity, etc. Heck, buy some groceries for the single mom next door. Then, save another 10% over and above any retirement account that you have. Then, live within the rest without borrowing.

Number 8: I Wish that Christians would remember why they came to God in the first place and then share that good news with their friends and neighbors. This doesn’t mean grabbing a bullhorn and heading for the street corner. It means engaging people you care about in honest, heartfelt discussions about spiritual things.

Number 7: I Wish that Christians would understand that following Jesus has little or nothing to do with politics. You may be guided by your faith as you vote, but I don’t remember Jesus saying anything about legislating the Kingdom of Heaven.

Number 6: I Wish that Christians would disciple. Jesus called us to do this in Matthew 28:19. Spiritual and personal growth is supposed to be a part of our Christian walk. That means personal, small group, or one-on-one exhortation outside of the Sunday sermon. Do you have a more mature Christian speaking into your life? Are you working with someone else?

Number 5: I Wish that Christians would teach the Word to their children. I have worked with youth and children for more than a decade and I see a consistent truth: Kids whose parents study the Bible outside of church and talk about spiritual things with their kids have better, well adjusted, and active Christian kids. Those who expect the youth group to teach their kids are the ones whose kids leave the faith as young adults. Deuteronomy 6:4-9. Parents, takes some time each week (if not daily) to read the Bible together and talk about it. This takes us back to Number 10 above, you have to make time for this. The added benefit, is that it will help you, help your marriage, and bring your family together.

Number 4: I Wish that Christians would remember Christ’s gentle message of grace to the hurting, the lost, and the sinners. He reserved his anger and rebuke to those that were using religion to press down on those same hurting, lost, and sinners. This is an important message for the abortion debate, the homosexual marriage debate, and any other place where we come into conflict.

Number 3: I Wish that Christians would remember that faith calls for action. Read and follow the words of James 1:27, Mark 12:31, Malachai 6:8, James 2:14-18, Matthew 25:35-26, Matthew 5:13-16, Matthew 6:2-4. Serve, volunteer, give, love, help. Don’t just sit in the pew on an occasional Sunday and believe that you have done your Christian duty for the week. Read Matthew 25:41-46 and take the warning to heart, God takes this very seriously.

Number 2: I Wish that Christians would remember that we are all human. Christian sometimes try to act like everything is OK, keeping their mask on even though they are hurting inside. This pushes new people away because they look at their own lives and realize they can’t be perfect. This is also an issue with leaders. People put pastors on a pedestal and then are hurt when the pastor falls. We are all sinners, saved by grace.

Number 1: I Wish that Christians would return to the strong community of the early church where we lived together, ate together, and served together weekly if not daily. Maybe it is a big-city thing, but it seems that everyone lives separate lives except for Sunday from 10:00 – 11:15.

This is the last installment in my Top 10 in 10 Days. I hope that you have enjoyed it. I have appreciated the response. My goal was to get my Christian and non-Christian friends all thinking about God, religion, the Bible, and spiritual things in their lives. This is an important area of life that many people neglect.

My next post will be next Monday in the A.M.

Ten Books of the Bible that are Worth Your Time to Read

Ten Books of the Bible that are worth your time to read.

If you didn’t know it, the Bible is not one book. It is a library of 66 books that tell God’s story collectively. The books are written in three different original languages over a span of 1600 years by more than forty men on three different continents. These books were written by scholars, prophets, shepherds, fishermen, generals, physicians, tax collectors, tentmakers, prisoners, servants, and rabbis.

Though I would say the entire Bible is worth reading, I have included below some recommended books that are definitely worth your time to read.

Number 10: The Gospel of Luke. This is the longest of the Gospels. It was written by Luke, a Physician assigned to research the eyewitness testimonies of Jesus and his ministry. It contains the most information about Jesus.

Number 9: Judges. I recommend this book regularly to Junior High boys when they tell me it is boring to read the Bible (as a Junior High boy, everything is boring if it requires reading). This book is great for boys because it has swords, battles, blood and guts, tentpegs through the skull, daggers in the belly, and people chopped to pieces. It’s like an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie without the bad accent.

Number 8: Esther. I recommend this book to every Junior High or High School Girl that I ever meet. It’s a great book to show that a girl can be brave and do amazing things for God. It’s one of my favorites too, because it contains the greatest ironic plot twist ever. It’ll leave you cheering for the good guys.

Number 7: James. This is an awesome book for all Christians because it is a call to put your faith in action. No sitting on your butt in pews in this book. Get off your freakin duff and do God’s work.

Number 6: Proverbs. Because we all need some wisdom. This is a great book to read in a month because it has 31 chapters. Read one chapter a day and I guarantee you’ll be wiser by the end of the month. It has great advice on money, laziness, gossip, and marriage, as well as information on running a kingdom (that could certainly be applied in the business world.) Check out some of my favorites: Proverbs 21:9, Proverbs 26:15, Proverbs 26:11, and my favorite life verse as a husband: Proverbs 5:18-19.

Number 5: 1 Corinthians. Corinth was a place in ancient Greece that was like Las Vegas today. I like this book because these people were way more screwed up than me. It give me hope.

Number 4: Ezekiel. Strange book. Strange prophet. Ezekiel was a priest and prophet who God made do some strange things in order to get the message across. He got to play army men, he packed his bags and dug a whole through the city wall and took his luggage out that way, he laid on his side for a long time, he ran around the city waiving a sword at some hair, he baked a poop cake (see: http://rodg3r.blogspot.com/2009/09/continuing-with-my-top-10-for-10-days.html number 1). It had to be fun to be a Hebrew then, “I wonder what crazy old Zeke is gonna do today?”

Number 3: Galatians. This is a great book about grace, about freedom from religiousity, about freedom from adding a bunch of rules to your faith.

Number 2: Ecclesiastes. A great book that showed they had postmodernism back then too. The king realizes that life is pointless if we are all just going to die anyway, so he tries to find meaning. He tries partying till his head hurts, sex till that got old, shopping like crazy, working his butt off, learning and education until his brain was full, and doing great public works and charity. All still seemed pointless until he realized that we need God to make it all mean something.

Number 1: John. Now be careful here. There are actually four books of John: the Gospel of John, 1John, 2John, and 3John. I am recommending the Gospel of John here. John was the youngest of Jesus’ disciples and wrote his eyewitness testimony in hopes that we would read it and believe in Jesus. A great book and great news inside.

I invite you to check out these books and many of the others. Ephesians and Romans are good instructions on the Christian life. Revelation is interesting just because of some of the weird stuff in there. Joshua is a good adventure story. Isaiah has lots of prophecy that came true later. Amos is all about justice. Matthew and Mark tell you more about Jesus. Acts tells you about the beginnings of the church. Trust me, there is lots of great stuff in there if you just check it out.

If you are interested in going through any of these books together, let me know. Not only is it my job, but it is something I love to do.

Tomorrow: The last and final installment of this Top 10 in 10 Days series: Ten Things I Wish for the Church.

Ten Things in the Bible that People Always Seem to Get Wrong

Ten Things in the Bible That People Always Seem to Get Wrong

Whether it is cultural bias, twisting scripture to prove their own selfish points, or good old fashioned ignorance, there are some scriptures that people always seem to get wrong. Here are ten of the most common:

Number 10: Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Mom loved to quote scripture to get you to clean behind your ears. The problem is, it ain’t in the Bible.

Number 9: God helps those who help themselves. Nope, that ain’t in there either.

Number 8: Judge not, lest ye be judged. Matthew 7:1-5. I’ve included this in other lists. This is not an instruction forbidding wise judgment, but an instruction against hypocrisy.

Number 7: The entire book of Revelation. Lots of people read parts of this book and then figure that they know how it’s all going to end and how God is coming back. They see black helicopters and marching soldiers and the Antichrist in everybody from Hitler to Saddam Hussein to Barack Obama.

Number 6: Health & Wealth Gospel. Flip on channel 21 and chances are you’ll see someone telling you that if you have just enough faith, then God will make you rich and healthy and happy. That’s great, but that isn’t in the Bible. O, they will take various scriptures such as Isaiah 53:5 or Matthew 7:7-8 to prove their point, but only by twisting the original meaning and ignoring verses like Luke 18:18-23, 1Timothy 6:9-11 (see below) and John 15:19-20.

Number 5: 1Timothy 6:9-11 Money is the root of all evil. Actually, the verse says, that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Hmmmm Enron, Bernie Madoff, our current mortgage crisis…. It’s almost as if God knew what He was talking about!

Number 4: Matthew 18:19-20. Where three or more are gathered in my name, I am there with them. This is used in a lot of beautiful communion meditations to say that God is present when we meet together for fellowship. It is also used as a health and wealth scripture. But, if you take this back to Matthew 18:15-20, then you see he is speaking about discipline for those who are refusing correction, specifically, someone who has sinned against a brother and then is recalcitrant about fixing it.

Number 3: Thou shalt not kill. Another verse that everyone seems to know in the King James. It is actually a law against murder, not all killing. A soldier doing his job is not covered by this law. A person using deadly force to defend their life or the life of another is not covered by this. A police officer or an executioner doing their duty are not covered by this.

Number 2: 1Timothy 2:11-13 Women don’t serve in church. I have, at times, run into people (mostly women, believe it or not) who don’t believe that women should serve in church, speak in church, or do anything else that might smack of leadership or teaching because of this scripture. In doing so, they disregard Mary, Phoebe, Priscilla, Lydia, Junia, Deborah, Esther, and a whole mess of other ladies in the Bible who did serve God, who did lead God’s people, who did teach, preach, prophesy, etc.

Number 1: Speaking of gender issues. Ephesians 5:22-24. Wives must submit to their husbands or else!!! This verse has been used countless times as an excuse for an overbearing jerk of a husband to beat his wife, dominate her, and/or control her life. Conveniently, he will always skip Ephesians 5:21 and Ephesians 5:25-29. Men are actually held to a much higher standard of submission to their wives in these verses.

Tomorrow: Ten Books of the Bible that are Worth Your Time to Read

Ten Things I Struggle With in the Bible

Ten Things That I Struggle With in the Bible

Maybe you’ve met people with all the answers. Maybe you are someone who has all of the answers. I am not one of those people. In fact, the more I learn, the more that I realize that I don’t know nearly as much as I thought I did. I hope it is OK if I am that unflinchingly honest with you about this, because sometimes people expect Pastors to have all the answers.

There are things that I know, things that I am sure of, and things that I have faith in. But there are others that I just don’t know or at least am not entirely sure about. I am very careful not to be dogmatic when I am unsure.

When I was younger, in my late teens and early twenties, I knew everything. I was an expert on lots of things and was very willing to tell people just how wrong they were, whether they were listening or not. I’ll admit it, I was an overbearing, know-it-all jerk. I have softened with much with age. I hope that I am humbler now.

The Bible is full of some wonderfully clear things, but it also contains some things that are less clear, things that scholars have more than one point of view on. Often these are the things in which people loudly offer simple answers for complex questions. In my experience, the louder they are, the less likely they are right.

I just want to let you know that it is OK to question and wonder.

It’s OK not to have all of the answers.

Even pastors and scholars don’t know everything.

Here are just some of them that I struggle with:

Number Ten: 1Timothy 2:12 – 15. Paul telling women that they cannot teach or exercise authority over a man. I struggle with this in light of Debra, Priscilla, Lydia, and others. I struggle with this in light of many gifted teachers that I have had that are women. There are different points of view taking all of 1Timothy 2 in context. In addition, there is Phoebe. Romans 16:1. In some translations, Phoebe is referred to as a servant. In others, she is referred to as a deacon. The Greek word is διάκονος or diakonos. That is the same word we use for deacon. Was she a leader in the church or just someone who helped out? Does this mean we could have female elders and deacons? How much of this is culture?

Number Nine: James 3:1. Teachers of God’s word will be held to a stricter standard of judgment than everyone else. This one scares me a little bit especially when you consider this very list. I am a teacher and preacher, and thus I will be held to that stricter judgment.

Number Eight: Job 1:8-12. God allows Satan to screw with Job, killing his ten children, and taking away all he had. Now Job was a faithful man and God allowed all this and more before Satan was done. I struggle with the enormous injustice that seems to be here.

Number Seven: Exodus 11-12. The tenth and final plague of Egypt. This was the first sermon that I preached to the main church and though I found some timeless truths in it, I struggle with the fact that God killed children just to make a point of his power. Not just the children of Pharaoh and his officials, but every first born son from the most important personage down to the lowliest slave.

Number Six: Acts 15:1-20. The Jerusalem Council. The message of Jesus and the message found throughout the New Testament is one of release from the Old Testament Law. Yet, in Acts 15, they choose to keep a tiny part of the law for the Gentiles. This seems like they came to a bad compromise.

Number Five: 1John 3:4-10. The suggestion that somehow we will stop sinning completely as a follower of Christ. It repeats this twice in 1John. It just doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the Gospel and with observation of real people. It is also confusing based on other statements that he makes within such as 1John 1:8.

Number Four: Romans 8:29-30 & Ephesians 1:5-11. Predestination. Despite the common refrain of ‘Free Will’ by many Christians, there is much more evidence that God chooses who will be saved. Yet, it also says that God wishes all to be saved in 2Peter 3:9. This is the start of the whole Calvinism vs. Arminian arguments.

Number 3: Matthew 25:31-46. The Sheeps and Goats judgement. Does this mean that some Christians won’t be good enough despite believing or does it mean that some non-believers will be given a second chance because of the good works they have done. Either is problematic in light of the Gospel message.

Number 2: Genesis - Malachai and Matthew - Revelation. Canon. I struggle with the methodology of choosing scripture. I have no problem with leaving out goofy things like the Gospel of Thomas which is so popular with pseudo-scholars like Dan Brown. But, it does take a step of faith to consider what was left in and why.

Number 1: Matthew 5:44-47. Love those who persecute you. Love your enemies. OK, I can handle this with regard to the jerk who cuts me off in traffic or my old boss who hurt people and messed with their lives. But… Terrorists? Child Molesters? The guy that just beat his girlfriend’s three year old to death here in Phoenix or the guy who poured gasoline on his little girl and lit her on fire? The guys who flew the planes into the twin towers? Hitler?

There’s more than ten things on this list, but I’ll stop at this point. Now, if you are one of my fellow pastors, seminary professors, or students in Bible college, please don’t comment with explanations of these. I have come to some sort of understanding on each of these and I do know the arguments and the orthodox views. If you are honest with yourself, I know you struggle with some things. I’m just being honest about some of the things I struggle with.

An excellent book on this subject is, “The Blue Parakeet.” by Scot McKnight.

Tomorrow: Ten Verses that People Always Seem To Get Wrong.

Ten Things I Wish Non-Christians Would Move Past

Ten Things I Wish Non-Christians Would Move Past

OK, yesterdays Top 10 got the response I expected. You should have seen my email and facebook inboxes. As I expected a lot of people read down the list until they hit something that they feel strongly about and then stopped there. So much for moving past stuff and focusing on the important message.

Moving right along, today’s Top 10 is the things that I wish Non-Christians would move past. If you don’t believe in the Bible, please take a moment and read this list. Please don’t let any of these things be a stumbling block to you meeting God. He is there and He wants a personal relationship with you and He will make a difference in your life. If you want to know more, just contact me. I’ll buy you a cup of coffee, a soda pop, or even a beer and we can talk about any questions you have. I promise, no spiritual manipulation and no in-your-face stuff, just an honest conversation.

Number 10: Angels. I was at Bookstar the other day and I saw a lady buying this stack of books about Angels. How to get your angel to help you. How to be healed by your angel. How to hear your angel. The Big Book of Angels. OK. It’s all crap. Gotta be honest. Angels are in the Bible, but what you read in all those self-help books is mostly made up, goofy spiritualism which has little or no connection to how they are described in the Bible. Just a thought.

Number 9: Hypocrisy in the Church. Duh. There are hypocrites in the church. For the record, there are also hypocrites in your grocery store, laundromat, bowling alley, on the golf course, and at your work. Look in the mirror and you’ll see one there too. My favorite quote is, “I am comfortable with my own hypocrisy, it is everyone else’s that bothers me.” Laugh. That’s funny. The human condition involves hypocrisy, we all have blind spots to our own problems while seeing other’s very clearly. Don’t let that be a reason for avoiding God.

Number 8: Pushing my values off on you. I blogged about this once before (http://rodg3r.blogspot.com/2009/05/push-off.html). Please don’t accuse me of pushing my values off on you. Of course I am. I have an opinion, I vote, and I have freedom of speech. And, I am honest about it. If you use this as an argument-stopper, then you are the dishonest one. The truth is, everyone has an opinion, and if you vote, make any political comment, protest something, share your opinion, or even just express your belief; then you are pushing your values off on others. That is the great thing about the nation we live in. You are allowed to do that. Let’s go to the polls and you can try to push your values off on me and I’ll try to push mine off on you. Welcome to the process of living in community.

Number 7: I believe that all religions lead to heaven. Goofy, goofy, goofy. Not all religions even believe in heaven. Most religions directly contradict each other. Simple logic therefore is that they must not all lead to heaven. I really wish people put more logic into their thinking.

Number 6: There is no such thing as absolute truth. Another goofy one. That is a self-refuting statement. You are making the statement as if it is truth, but then saying that there isn’t truth. You cannot really believe this and live your life accordingly. (more on this: http://rodg3r.blogspot.com/2009/06/you-cant-understand-this-because-its.html and http://rodg3r.blogspot.com/2009/05/you-cant-handle-truth.html)

Number 5: Televangelists. Yes, most of us think they are ridiculous too. Just turn to the next channel and ignore them. If you want to know about God, find a local church and talk to the pastor. Yes, some of them are weird too, but such is the way of things; every group of people has its weirdos, even Christians.

Number 4: Church is just about money. I believed this too, when I first started coming to church. Every time we met, they passed a plate. They sure are greedy. Actually, the truth is, the church is not a group of pastors asking for money, it is a body of people who are working together to do God’s work and pooling their money to do so. Generosity is an act of worship and obedience that is the complete opposite of greed. If you show up to church, don’t feel guilty or pressured into giving. If you become a part of God’s work, it will be amazing how much you want to be a part of this.

Number 3: Megaphones. That guy standing on a box out front of the stadium telling you that God is condemning you to hell, but Jesus loves you. Yeah, he’s a freak. I agree. Same with Fred Phelps and his gang of protestors with their offensive signs and awful website. And Steven Anderson praying for Obama to get brain cancer and die. Yeah, they embarrass and offend me too. I don’t know what to tell you other than to say that this sort of behavior isn’t found in the Bible. Don’t let those guys turn you off of the real message of Christ and the multitude of Jesus’ followers who would love you to know him.

Number 2: Perfect People. Church people are no more perfect than you. Everyone sitting in those pews is fighting an enormous battle with something in their lives, just like you are. We all face different things. That’s why we need God and why we need each other. Sometimes you will meet the plastic Ken and Barbie Christian who smile and say, “God bless you” all the time, and never have any problems. For the record, those are the ones that usually have the most problems hidden in their closet. They need God too.

Number 1: It really is OK to talk about belief in mixed company. Your beliefs are so much a part of who you are, it is a shame that our culture has decided that you don’t share in mixed company. The rule should be, don’t be a jerk about your beliefs in mixed company, but feel free to talk about them. Who knows we might learn something from each other.

Tomorrow: Ten things that I struggle with in the Bible.

Ten Things in the Bible That I Wish Christians Would Move Past For Awhile

Top Ten Things In the Bible That I Wish Christians Would Move Past For Awhile

I will probably get hate mail and arguments on this one. Sacred cows are so hard to kill. It isn’t that some things are necessarily un-biblical or that they aren’t something to be educated about, it is just that I think we get sidetracked on our own pet issues and forget that our job is to make disciples, to share the Gospel of grace for the lost, and to put our religion into practice by helping the poor, supporting widows, adopting orphans, feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, etc. The message of the cross is offensive because it promises grace to all who sin (but they have to recognize their sin) if they believe. Why are we offending people with side issues?

Before you read more, please note that I could argue each of these point much more, but my very point is that I believe we spend too much time on these items. Also, this is my blog and therefore my opinions. Take them as you will.

Number 10: The End. The book of Revelation. More specifically, End Times Theology (A.K.A. Eschatology). As a pastor, I have to know the four Orthodox views and understand their strengths and weaknesses, but everyone else needs to read Matthew 25 and understand our job is to be ready, not to force current events into a tight mold of what we think might happen. (For the record, I don't think that Obama is the Anti-Christ.) This issue of eschatology distracts us from the real message of grace and gets us into pointless debates over an issue that is ultimately God's responsibility, not ours. Our responsibility is readiness.

Number 9: The Beginning. Creation and Evolution. Genesis 1:1 is important, because it is the start of faith. God created all things. As to the rest of Genesis 1 & 2, it is not a literal science textbook. Those that take this as an exact, literal, word for word explanation (with no regard for the poetic style of the language) of creation end up with crazy ideas like dinosaurs walking around with people. This issue distracts us from the real message of grace and confuses non-believers about what we are about.

Number 8: John 3:16. Yes, it is a beautiful look at God’s love and grace. But, if I see one more John 3:16 sign at a football game or held by some scraggly looking weirdo on the street corner yelling at me through a bullhorn, I might just start throwing things. Do you really think that is an effective way to reach people? Is that what Jesus did? Is that what the apostles did? I don’t think so.

Number 7: Denominations. In light of 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 and Ephesians 4:1-6, how can we still hold ourselves separate from one another and still believe we are being faithful to our calling? Whether you are Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, Anglican, Church of Christ, Nazarene, Methodist, et. al, you are my brothers in Christ. Much of what we have split over in the past are minor issues of interpretation and worship style. Ditch the names on the sign, seek unity with other bodies and just follow Jesus.

Number 6: Legalism. Forbidding rated R Movies, card playing, dancing, and alcohol as well as legalistic attempts at following Old Testament Laws. Hello, I have a book to introduce you to: Galatians. We aren’t supposed to add to the law or try to carry the law anymore. Growth in Christ comes from relationship with God not from artificial rules. Choosing out Rated R movies has two issues: first, try reading the Old Testament, it is Rated R in many parts and NC17 in others; second, there are some excellent rated R movies that deal with powerful issues and there are some PG and PG-13 that are terrible and offensive. Instead of blanket condemnation, try using your discernment, that’s why God gave it to you. As to card playing and dancing, they aren’t even in the Bible. Drunkeness is forbidden, but not the use of alcohol. Finally, the most devout legalists that I have met still disregard some of the law. Try reading James 2:10. I have yet to meet a legalist who does not cut the forelocks of his hair or clip his beard (Leviticus 19:27).

Number 5: Prayer of Jabez and Health/Wealth Gospel. God loves you and wants you to be rich, just buy my book for $34.95 and you will learn how God can make you rich. To quote the late, great poet Janis Joplin (luv you Janis), “O Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz.” This is a popular movement today in our consumerist, materialistic society. It completely disregards the message of Jesus of course and has no basis whatsoever in the Bible, but Oh well, it’s easier to believe. I frankly think that we need to focus on getting all materialism out of the church. This has to be a teaching and discipling choice. If children are starving, if people are going without necessary health-care, if anyone is homeless; how can we in good conscience waste our money on fancy cars, too large homes, gigantic flat panel t.v.’s in every room, and eating out at restaurants every night? When I read the Bible, I see us called to generosity, to giving, to sacrifice.

Number 4: Consumer Church with a self-help message. My wife and I began visiting other church’s for a Saturday service, one where we could go and hear God’s word without working during church. We visited several local mega-churches (because they were the only ones with Saturday services). We found one excellent one at North Phoenix Baptist, but we happened to visit on the last time they were doing it. Bummer. So we visited several others. The main message of these services was self-help- feel-good-about-yourself. No Bibles were ever opened and, if God’s word was quoted, it was a side note that supported the preacher’s talking point instead of being the focus of the message. Church is not an entertainment option, but a calling to change and grow by following God's word. The Bible is not about self-help but about serving God and others. God's word isn't about what's in it for me, but who I'm supposed to be.

Number 3: Sex. Can I say that word in church? For many years, the church as seen this as a forbidden topic. I call this ‘La-La Theology,’ that is, cover your ears with your hands, squeeze your eyes shut, and yell la, la, la, la, la at the top of your lungs so that you don’t accidentally have to hear or see it. Well, the simple fact of the matter is God created sex and trust me, it is good. If our message to kids is abstinence only, followed with, “wait till you get out of college to get married,” we set them up to fail. The church must teach about it, teach the glory of it in a healthy marriage, teach about all the surrounding issues – essentially, we cannot ignore it. Hey, it’s all over the Bible.

Number 2: Church on Sunday. Church is a body of people who worship together, serve together, and reach out to their friends, family, and neighbors. It is not supposed to be a habitual gathering for 90 minutes on Sunday that has no effect on your life throughout the week. Our faith is something to be lived, to be put into action, to be seen by others in such a way that it brings Glory to God. I don’t see very much of that.

Number 1: Homosexuality condemnation verses. How can you expect those who do not follow God to live up to His law? Further, every person who is homosexual also has lied, cheated, hated, gossiped, and committed a multitude of other sins. JUST LIKE ME! JUST LIKE YOU! Why do we focus on this one thing without sharing the message of grace for all sin. It seems that each generation of Christians chooses some sin to be worse than all others to rant about. Thirty years ago it was divorce. Fifteen years ago it was abortion. I even believe that you can be homosexual and come to Christ. Whoa! When I see groups like Westboro Baptist or Steven Anderson’s church in Tempe, I am disgusted because they have forgotten the grace and gentleness with which Jesus dealt with people. The only time he got angry with people was when he dealt with hypocritical religious zealots who hurt other people with their legalistic view of God’s law. (http://rodg3r.blogspot.com/2009/05/apology.html). I will write more on this topic another time, because there is another side to discuss within the church, but for now, I’ll leave it at this.

Number 0: That's right, I am making this list 11 things. It's my blog and I can do that if I want. Politics. Look up at the front and center of your church building. Is that a cross up there or is it a flag. Do you have to where your elephant shaped badge to get in the building? We need to remember 1Timothy 2:1-3 and Romans 13:1-7. Are we praying to the idol of America or are we faithfully serving God by discipling and spreading the Gospel?

Conclusion:

As I said earlier, some of these things have value and should be discussed, but I believe that many of them distract from our central message. When we fight amongst ourselves over petty issues, when we berate non-believers for actions instead of showing them love, when we try to legislate God’s word to change behavior without changing hearts, we forget the central message of the cross. Grace and Love towards those who are in sin and hurting, and exhortation towards growth for those within the church.

Tomorrow: Top 10 Things I Wish Non-Chrisitans Would Get Over.

Ten Un-coolest Acts in the Bible

Ten un-coolest acts in the Bible

It’s day 3 of this 10 day journey through the Top 10 Bible lists. Today, we look at some of the all time uncool acts that occurred in the Bible. This list is ‘R’ rated as is many parts of the Bible. Only proceed if you are old enough and strong enough to handle it.

Number 10: Jacob meets two sisters, Rachel the hottie and Leah, well, not so much a hottie. He works for their dad Laban for 7 years in order to earn the right to marry Rachel. When the wedding is over and he lifts up the veil… Whoops, it is the ugly sister. Laban pulled a switcheroo so he could marry off the older, not so pretty daughter. He then talks Jacob into working another 7 years and this time he gets Rachel too. Then he loves Rachel more than Leah. Harsh all the way around. Genesis 29:16-30

Number 9: Circumcision of Abraham’s household. Abraham comes home and tells all the guys of his family and clan that they have to get circumcised. Everyone from 8 years old to 99 years. Imagine what it would be like to be a 37 year old guy in his family. “you want me to cut what?!?!?!?” I read this and cross my legs. Ouch. Genesis 17:23-27

Number 8: Joseph works hard as a slave in his new land of Egypt. He gets promoted to run his master’s household. He is a fine looking young lad and his master’s wife takes a liking to him and tries to ‘get busy’ with him. He refuses with integrity, but hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, so she accuses him of rape and gets him put in prison. Genesis 39:7-20

Number 9: Abraham marries a real cutie of a wife. When they are traveling, he tells people that she is his sister so they won’t kill him and take her for their own wife. He meets the Pharoah of Egypt and tells him this. Pharoah then takes her as his own anyway and pays off Abraham. Pharaoh gets in trouble with God. Genesis 12:10-20

Number 8: King David has sex with another man’s wife and gets her preggy. Whoops. So, he calls the poor guy back from the army so he will sleep with his wife and then think it is his kid. He won’t sleep with his wife because he believes he should be back in the field at war with the army. So, David sends him back to the front lines with a message. The message says, put this man in the front of the line and then withdraw so he will be killed. That’s right, he carried his own death warrant back to the front. Double Uncool. 2Samuel 11:1-17

Number 7: King David’s son Amnon lusted after his niece Tamar, so he cons her into coming into his room where he rapes her and then puts her out. King David hears about it and is angry, but doesn’t do anything to punish Amnon. Double Uncool again. 2Samuel 13:1-21

Number 6: More Incest right out of Jerry Springer. The church at Corinth had a man who was having sex with dad’s wife. Hmmmm. Even worse, the church was proud that they were so cool and accepting of this. 1Corinthians 5:1-2

Number 5: A man has a girlfriend who travels with him to a new town. Men from the town seize his girlfriend and viciously rape her. The man is so angry when he comes out and finds his girlfriend unconscious that he takes her home and cuts her body up into twelve pieces and sends them all ovedr the country. Judges 19:22-29

Number 4: Exodus 15-19. The Israelites have just been freed from slavery and seen some amazing things from God. So they are happy and praise Him, right?.... Not even a little bit. They spend the whole trip whining and complaining like a bunch of Junior Highers on a road trip, and the first chance they get, they make an idol and sacrifice to it.

Number 3: Job’s wife. All of Job’s children are dead, he has lost all of his wealth and is covered by sores. Miserable time, Huh? So, do you think his wife is supportive? Not even a little bit, she harps on him and nags him and ultimately tells him to curse God and die, just get it over with because she is sick of it all. Job 2:9

Number 2: Jesus betrayed by Judas for 30 pieces of silver. OK, so I understand that Jesus had to die so that he could be resurrected and so he could be the propitiation of sin…, but still. Luke 22:1-6, 47-48

Number 1: The number one uncoolest act in the Bible. Two words… Original Sin. Genesis 3. It doomed the rest of us. I do have to say, it is easy to blame Adam and Eve, but… If God put me in the garden with a Krispey Kreme tree and told me not to touch it, I would be soooooo banished.

Tomorrow: 10 Things in the Bible I wish Christians Would Get Over