Isn’t that exactly what we do when God doesn’t live up to our expectation that He will protect us from suffering? Things go wrong in their lives and people decide to leave their family and move in with someone new. Disappointment comes and alcohol or clubs / dancing seem to be such a relief. Your wife is pulling away so porn seems the logical choice.
The one whose only desire is to destroy us holds out alternatives to reality, alternatives that can only hurt us and we grab on to these alternatives as though they are life preservers rather than the life destroyers they are.
Humans consider themselves so very intelligent yet when put into a difficult situation, we actually decide to sleep with the very enemy whose sole desire is to separate us from the only Love this universe knows.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Is God Your Crutch?
Well, yes actually He is, although I prefer the term refuge.
So did the Psalmist David.
Depending on the translation you’re using, David referred to Creator God as his refuge some forty times. David knew the term intimately.
So does anyone who’s been driven into life’s desert by the circumstances that come our way.
So did the Psalmist David.
Depending on the translation you’re using, David referred to Creator God as his refuge some forty times. David knew the term intimately.
So does anyone who’s been driven into life’s desert by the circumstances that come our way.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Jesus, our role model and Women
The OT records a creation order whereby women were equal to men in stature.
After, and because of the fall, by the time of Jesus’ arrival, man’s corrupt self-love had demeaned and diminished women to little more than chattel. A Rabbinic traditional blessing stated: “I thank God that I was not born a heathen, nor a woman.”
The prophecy “he shall rule over you” (Gen. 3:16) had been completely fulfilled.
Jesus came to restore the proper order of Creation. Because of that, Jesus’ behaviour is free from the disdain for women that was by then widespread in Judaism. For example, Jesus had a long discussion with the Samaritan woman and even revealed to this woman His mission and messiahship. In contrast to the practice of Jewish teachers of the law, Jesus had women among His followers who were able to join in being instructed by Him (Luke 10:38-42). His proclamation - “Come to Me ALL who are weary,” was valid for all.
Jesus’ parables contain many examples from the world of women (Matt. 13:33; 24:41; Luke 15:8-10; 18:1-8; Mark 12:41-44). In contrast, Rabbinic parables used women - if at all - almost exclusively in a negative light. Jesus’ teaching is free from every form of open or concealed disdain for women. Unlike Rabbinic teaching which warned of males being seduced by women, Jesus warns against the male tendency to seduce women (Matt 5:27-30). The Rabbinic tendency was to view women as morally inferior to men. Instead Jesus emphasised the wickedness of the human heart which affects both sexes equally.
Jesus preached against not just the supposed moral superiority of men but also their legal superiority. In Mark 10:2-12, Jesus condemns every kind of divorce and ties the OT permission to divorce to man’s hard and evil hearts. Jesus emphatically protects the woman from the devaluation that was bound up with the Jewish divorce practise and legalised polygamy.
Through His absolute love command (Matt 7:12; 22:34-40) Jesus threw out as unacceptable once and for all time, every kind of male egoism or oppression of women. Jesus did not just take women seriously, as people who have the same value as men, but in an unprecedented way He turned His attention to suffering and morally despised women.
. He protected these women without denying their sinfulness (Luke 7:36-50; John 7:53-8:11).
. Women as well as men could experience Jesus’ healing power (Mark 1:29-31; 5:25-34; Matt 9:18, 23-25; 15:21-28; Luke 8:2; 13:10-17).
. Jesus even set aside the Jewish Sabbath regulation to heal a woman during a synagogue service (Luke 13:10-17).
Answering the objections of Jewish leaders, Jesus called this woman a “daughter of Abraham.” This is a tremendous honour that is NEVER found in the Talmud.
“Truly I say to you . . . harlots go into the kingdom of God before you,” (Matt 21:31).
Jesus points to women as spiritual examples. He praises the faith of the widow (Mark 12:41-44). He shows amazement at the faith of the Syrophoenician woman (Matt 15:21-28), He praises the queen of Sheba’s quest for truth (Matt 12:41,42), and He sets up the importunate widow as an example for His disciples (Luke 18:1-8). Women responded to Jesus’ character with great love and respect as would any woman whose husband modelled Jesus’ attitude toward His wife. Jesus protected women again and again against men’s lack of understanding. He defended the woman who anointed His head with oil. He backed the woman of ill-repute who anointed His feet with myrrh. He corrected His disciples when they harshly discouraged the women who wanted to bring their children to Jesus. Jesus allowed women healed by Him to join His band of followers and accepted the assistance of women.
Jesus did not see this as weakness.
Husbands often come to me bemoaning their wives lack of respect and support. I’m forced to think, “Is it any wonder? If the only reason for respect is because it’s demanded of them, what else should these men expect?” Jesus’ unique attention to women was met by them with responsive love and support which put the disciples to shame. At His crucifixion, while John the only male was present, several women among His followers were nearby or within sight during His final hours. The faithfulness of these women continued after His death. They rose on the first Easter morning to anoint His body and so were honoured to be the first witnesses of the resurrection. In this way, not just the earthly Jesus Christ, but the resurrected Christ demonstrated with mighty power that with His coming a new age for women had broken in. In Jesus, God’s valuation of women as man’s equal companion appears with total clarity, and made obsolete the tendency present then and still present even today to regard women as of lesser worth.
In Mark 9:35 Jesus shows, that in God’s kingdom there is still both authority and subordination, the man leads and the woman is led. BUT in place of arbitrary domination there is a reign of love, a humble servant leadership which is to be seen entirely as service given TO the wife.
In 1st Corinthians 11:3 woman’s subordination to man is compared to the subordination of Christ to God.
Think about that!
Obviously the subordination of woman has nothing to do with a one-down position. It would be absurd to suggest that the subordination of Christ to the Father means that Christ - God the Son - is of less value than God the Father, for Jesus is God.
The word used for "helpmate" found in Genesis, to describe the woman's role in relation to her husband is the same word used to describe God in His role regarding us. Hardly a one-down position.
Since the headship model finds its origin in God the Father over Jesus the Christ this removes any justification for a man to lead his wife in anything but a loving and tender and equal manner.
After, and because of the fall, by the time of Jesus’ arrival, man’s corrupt self-love had demeaned and diminished women to little more than chattel. A Rabbinic traditional blessing stated: “I thank God that I was not born a heathen, nor a woman.”
The prophecy “he shall rule over you” (Gen. 3:16) had been completely fulfilled.
Jesus came to restore the proper order of Creation. Because of that, Jesus’ behaviour is free from the disdain for women that was by then widespread in Judaism. For example, Jesus had a long discussion with the Samaritan woman and even revealed to this woman His mission and messiahship. In contrast to the practice of Jewish teachers of the law, Jesus had women among His followers who were able to join in being instructed by Him (Luke 10:38-42). His proclamation - “Come to Me ALL who are weary,” was valid for all.
Jesus’ parables contain many examples from the world of women (Matt. 13:33; 24:41; Luke 15:8-10; 18:1-8; Mark 12:41-44). In contrast, Rabbinic parables used women - if at all - almost exclusively in a negative light. Jesus’ teaching is free from every form of open or concealed disdain for women. Unlike Rabbinic teaching which warned of males being seduced by women, Jesus warns against the male tendency to seduce women (Matt 5:27-30). The Rabbinic tendency was to view women as morally inferior to men. Instead Jesus emphasised the wickedness of the human heart which affects both sexes equally.
Jesus preached against not just the supposed moral superiority of men but also their legal superiority. In Mark 10:2-12, Jesus condemns every kind of divorce and ties the OT permission to divorce to man’s hard and evil hearts. Jesus emphatically protects the woman from the devaluation that was bound up with the Jewish divorce practise and legalised polygamy.
Through His absolute love command (Matt 7:12; 22:34-40) Jesus threw out as unacceptable once and for all time, every kind of male egoism or oppression of women. Jesus did not just take women seriously, as people who have the same value as men, but in an unprecedented way He turned His attention to suffering and morally despised women.
. He protected these women without denying their sinfulness (Luke 7:36-50; John 7:53-8:11).
. Women as well as men could experience Jesus’ healing power (Mark 1:29-31; 5:25-34; Matt 9:18, 23-25; 15:21-28; Luke 8:2; 13:10-17).
. Jesus even set aside the Jewish Sabbath regulation to heal a woman during a synagogue service (Luke 13:10-17).
Answering the objections of Jewish leaders, Jesus called this woman a “daughter of Abraham.” This is a tremendous honour that is NEVER found in the Talmud.
“Truly I say to you . . . harlots go into the kingdom of God before you,” (Matt 21:31).
Jesus points to women as spiritual examples. He praises the faith of the widow (Mark 12:41-44). He shows amazement at the faith of the Syrophoenician woman (Matt 15:21-28), He praises the queen of Sheba’s quest for truth (Matt 12:41,42), and He sets up the importunate widow as an example for His disciples (Luke 18:1-8). Women responded to Jesus’ character with great love and respect as would any woman whose husband modelled Jesus’ attitude toward His wife. Jesus protected women again and again against men’s lack of understanding. He defended the woman who anointed His head with oil. He backed the woman of ill-repute who anointed His feet with myrrh. He corrected His disciples when they harshly discouraged the women who wanted to bring their children to Jesus. Jesus allowed women healed by Him to join His band of followers and accepted the assistance of women.
Jesus did not see this as weakness.
Husbands often come to me bemoaning their wives lack of respect and support. I’m forced to think, “Is it any wonder? If the only reason for respect is because it’s demanded of them, what else should these men expect?” Jesus’ unique attention to women was met by them with responsive love and support which put the disciples to shame. At His crucifixion, while John the only male was present, several women among His followers were nearby or within sight during His final hours. The faithfulness of these women continued after His death. They rose on the first Easter morning to anoint His body and so were honoured to be the first witnesses of the resurrection. In this way, not just the earthly Jesus Christ, but the resurrected Christ demonstrated with mighty power that with His coming a new age for women had broken in. In Jesus, God’s valuation of women as man’s equal companion appears with total clarity, and made obsolete the tendency present then and still present even today to regard women as of lesser worth.
In Mark 9:35 Jesus shows, that in God’s kingdom there is still both authority and subordination, the man leads and the woman is led. BUT in place of arbitrary domination there is a reign of love, a humble servant leadership which is to be seen entirely as service given TO the wife.
In 1st Corinthians 11:3 woman’s subordination to man is compared to the subordination of Christ to God.
Think about that!
Obviously the subordination of woman has nothing to do with a one-down position. It would be absurd to suggest that the subordination of Christ to the Father means that Christ - God the Son - is of less value than God the Father, for Jesus is God.
The word used for "helpmate" found in Genesis, to describe the woman's role in relation to her husband is the same word used to describe God in His role regarding us. Hardly a one-down position.
Since the headship model finds its origin in God the Father over Jesus the Christ this removes any justification for a man to lead his wife in anything but a loving and tender and equal manner.
Don’t Miss This
“Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” Philippians 4:8,9 Mssg.
Sadly Christians ignore this sound command. Christianity in North America stretches from coast to coast and is about 2mm deep and this is one of the main reasons why.
We are copying the society at large, believing that we can flirt with filth and still come out clean.
What’s in your thought life?
Is God’s grace a focus more often than yours or someone else’s guilt?
Are you aware of God’s blessing far more often than your struggles?
Do you focus on all the reasons you have for hope or do you allow dread to seep into your day?
Do you start the day with God’s strength or do the day’s demands sap your strength even before you’re out of bed?
You can’t have it both ways. Either you compare God to the giants or you compare the giants to yourself. One will produce a Christian who is more than a conqueror. The other will produce a defeated Christian; a Christian whose lifestyle mirrors that of the world in which we live.
Sadly Christians ignore this sound command. Christianity in North America stretches from coast to coast and is about 2mm deep and this is one of the main reasons why.
We are copying the society at large, believing that we can flirt with filth and still come out clean.
What’s in your thought life?
Is God’s grace a focus more often than yours or someone else’s guilt?
Are you aware of God’s blessing far more often than your struggles?
Do you focus on all the reasons you have for hope or do you allow dread to seep into your day?
Do you start the day with God’s strength or do the day’s demands sap your strength even before you’re out of bed?
You can’t have it both ways. Either you compare God to the giants or you compare the giants to yourself. One will produce a Christian who is more than a conqueror. The other will produce a defeated Christian; a Christian whose lifestyle mirrors that of the world in which we live.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
119 rocks
Do I ever love Psalm 119. I'll bet 90% of the Psalmists words speak clearly my own thoughts about God's directions for living. Psalm 19 is a close second but 119 is priceless - literally.
Fools - Logic & Christianity
You don’t have to spend much time on the blogs of Fools to realise that they don’t really have an logical or rational argument against Christianity. They just don’t like Christianity.
Some of them say that Christianity promotes violence while others gag on its “ridiculous” demands (love your enemy, do good to those who hate you) for nonviolence.
Some lament that Christianity is impossible to understand while others mock its simplicity.
Fools cry foul when “Hitler could get into heaven just by asking to be forgiven,” and fools cry foul for not being allowed into heaven simply for refusing to be forgiven.
Some criticise Christianity for its “worm theology” of humans while others condemn it for making Christians think too highly of themselves.
Countless Fools rail against Christianity for making salvation hopelessly impossible while others say, “All you have to do . . .” and criticise it from that perspective.
Some say Christianity makes its adherents not care about life on earth while others say that followers of Christ work hard to do good only to avoid hell.
Some Fools say that Christian morality is bad while other Fools say there’s no such thing as Christian morality - we’ve all evolved a similar morality.
Some Fools rail against Christianity for the dreadful sexual exploits that are documented in the Bible while others rail against Christianity for denying humans a full range of possible sexual behaviours.
Some take Christianity to task as the sole enemy of life itself while others hate Christianity for pushing a sanctity of life.
Some claim that Christianity robs people of joy while others say that the joy Christians experience is based on fantasy.
Some Fools rake Christianity over the coals for its diversity and other Fools rage that Christianity forces everyone to be the same.
Some lament that Christianity has forced itself on the world while others laugh that Christianity has had no effect whatsoever.
Fools get angry that Christianity, they say, demeans minorities while other Fools cannot understand why minorities are the main adherents of Christianity.
Many Fools charge Christianity with trying to wipe out the Jewish race while others lament the fact that Christianity was founded by Jews.
Some fools like Dawkins hold that Christian theologians have no understanding of Christianity while at the same time Dawkins and those just like him hold themselves up as experts on Christianity.
A Fool here laments Christianity is not fighting against evil as it should while a Fool over there charges that Christianity is the cause of all evil.
Some Fools say the eyewitness to Jesus’ life lied while others claim there weren’t any eyewitnesses.
Fools accuse Christianity of being based upon mythology while offering nothing but mythological solutions of their own.
Some Fools suggest material possibilities for how Jesus walked on the water while others say Jesus never walked on water.
Some Fools give material explanations for why the tomb was empty while other Fools say that Jesus never existed.
Some Fools charge Christianity with being exclusive while others fuss and fret that salvation is open to anyone, especially those they don't like.
Fools look at Christians who’ve missed a spot and yell “Hypocrite.” Other Fools look at Christians who do pretty good and mock, “Fanatic!”
Fools attack Christianity for being full of contradictions whereas obviously it’s Fools themselves whose lives are full of contradictions.
Some of them say that Christianity promotes violence while others gag on its “ridiculous” demands (love your enemy, do good to those who hate you) for nonviolence.
Some lament that Christianity is impossible to understand while others mock its simplicity.
Fools cry foul when “Hitler could get into heaven just by asking to be forgiven,” and fools cry foul for not being allowed into heaven simply for refusing to be forgiven.
Some criticise Christianity for its “worm theology” of humans while others condemn it for making Christians think too highly of themselves.
Countless Fools rail against Christianity for making salvation hopelessly impossible while others say, “All you have to do . . .” and criticise it from that perspective.
Some say Christianity makes its adherents not care about life on earth while others say that followers of Christ work hard to do good only to avoid hell.
Some Fools say that Christian morality is bad while other Fools say there’s no such thing as Christian morality - we’ve all evolved a similar morality.
Some Fools rail against Christianity for the dreadful sexual exploits that are documented in the Bible while others rail against Christianity for denying humans a full range of possible sexual behaviours.
Some take Christianity to task as the sole enemy of life itself while others hate Christianity for pushing a sanctity of life.
Some claim that Christianity robs people of joy while others say that the joy Christians experience is based on fantasy.
Some Fools rake Christianity over the coals for its diversity and other Fools rage that Christianity forces everyone to be the same.
Some lament that Christianity has forced itself on the world while others laugh that Christianity has had no effect whatsoever.
Fools get angry that Christianity, they say, demeans minorities while other Fools cannot understand why minorities are the main adherents of Christianity.
Many Fools charge Christianity with trying to wipe out the Jewish race while others lament the fact that Christianity was founded by Jews.
Some fools like Dawkins hold that Christian theologians have no understanding of Christianity while at the same time Dawkins and those just like him hold themselves up as experts on Christianity.
A Fool here laments Christianity is not fighting against evil as it should while a Fool over there charges that Christianity is the cause of all evil.
Some Fools say the eyewitness to Jesus’ life lied while others claim there weren’t any eyewitnesses.
Fools accuse Christianity of being based upon mythology while offering nothing but mythological solutions of their own.
Some Fools suggest material possibilities for how Jesus walked on the water while others say Jesus never walked on water.
Some Fools give material explanations for why the tomb was empty while other Fools say that Jesus never existed.
Some Fools charge Christianity with being exclusive while others fuss and fret that salvation is open to anyone, especially those they don't like.
Fools look at Christians who’ve missed a spot and yell “Hypocrite.” Other Fools look at Christians who do pretty good and mock, “Fanatic!”
Fools attack Christianity for being full of contradictions whereas obviously it’s Fools themselves whose lives are full of contradictions.
Monday, March 1, 2010
You Don’t Have a Clue!
Sometimes, when I listen to Christian clients describe their treatment of others, I sit in wonder at how they can be so mean to each other. Worse, I wonder how they can be so mean to Jesus.
When Jesus was being crucified, He asked God to forgive those who were killing Him because, “They don’t know what they are doing.” What didn’t they know? Obviously they didn’t know they were killing their own Creator. They didn’t know they were torturing to death the only innocent person to have ever lived. They were as dumb as a post. Victims of sin. And that is how Jesus saw them. As victims.
Are we any different? Not one bit. When we hurl insults at each other, when we crucify the self-worth of our spouses and children with our words we don’t have a clue. Jesus said, “What ever you do to others, you are doing it to Me.” When we hit a child, we are hitting Jesus. When we lie to our partner, we are lying to Jesus. When we tell someone they’re stupid, we’re saying that to Jesus.
We don’t have a clue.
When Jesus was being crucified, He asked God to forgive those who were killing Him because, “They don’t know what they are doing.” What didn’t they know? Obviously they didn’t know they were killing their own Creator. They didn’t know they were torturing to death the only innocent person to have ever lived. They were as dumb as a post. Victims of sin. And that is how Jesus saw them. As victims.
Are we any different? Not one bit. When we hurl insults at each other, when we crucify the self-worth of our spouses and children with our words we don’t have a clue. Jesus said, “What ever you do to others, you are doing it to Me.” When we hit a child, we are hitting Jesus. When we lie to our partner, we are lying to Jesus. When we tell someone they’re stupid, we’re saying that to Jesus.
We don’t have a clue.
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