I am Jamaica's husband, Foursquare's comm director, Personality's founder, and a catalyst for CFCC.
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February 2004 Archives
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February 29, 2004
Restless Copycat, How Original
Filed under: God, Faith & Spirituality
It seems to be a reoccurring problem for me lately. My dreams, my desires, my ambitions; they are so alive inside that I wish I could do them all right now. This is not the problem. The problem is that every day it seems I find others who are already doing the same thing - or close to it. Some are doing it a little different than I would; some are doing a little better than I probably could. This discourages me immensely. What is it inside of me that makes me believe I have to be the only one doing it? What makes me think I am the one that should be doing it? What makes me think that I should go ahead and do it and prove to the other people already doing it that I am their worst nightmare? Is it competition? Is it entrepreneurship? Is it greed, lust or jealousy? Is there room for more than one idea in the arena of life? Coke and Pepsi. McDonald's and Burger King. Toyota and Honda. Tivo and Replay. Starbucks and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Quiznos and Subway. Nike and Reebok. The list goes on. So it seems there is room for two or more doing the same thing. I'm still restless.
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February 28, 2004
Forest Gump... The Sequel
Filed under: Politics
In the year 2040, will the U.S. presence in Iraq be remembered like Vietnam is remembered now? Will there be a sequel to Forest Gump so we can watch twenty-twenty hindsight play itself out beautifully scripted and compassionately unchallenged? Will America's interest in the world ever stop being questioned? Does interest assume a principal investment, or can the return on a loan be a better world with better people living for something beyond selfish implosion?
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February 27, 2004
Forgiveness
Filed under: Hot Topic
The dictionary defines forgiveness as:
The act of forgiving; the state of being forgiven; as, the forgiveness of sin or of injuries;
Disposition to pardon; willingness to forgive;
Compassionate feelings that support a willingness to forgive;
The act of excusing a mistake or offense.
In reference to the "Lord's Prayer," Wayne Grudem states "This daily prayer for forgiveness of sins is not a prayer that God would give us justification again and again throughout our lives... Rather, the prayer for forgiveness of sins each day is a prayer that God's fatherly relationship with us, which has been disrupted by sin that displeased him, be restored..."
Throughout his book, "Systematic Theology," (when referring to forgiveness) Grudem makes it a point to differentiate between forgiveness from God the judge and God the father. God the judge has already forgiven us on the day
we accept the atonement of Jesus. God the father needs daily communication to clear up the daily sin that we cause to get in the way. In other words, forgiveness beckons a better relationship, not a lesser punishment.
I think this is the dividing line where many religions go the other way. In Buddhism, the path of enlightenment is all about getting better karma or better returns in the next life - same with Hinduism and even Islam (show me the virgins). The point is not to better a relationship, but to make the deserving "bad" become deservingly better.
Chander Kanta Sethi, a former Hindu, tells her story of forgiveness...
"It seems like yesterday I woke up to find my husband slumped over the dining room table. I tried to wake him but his hand was cold. As I read the letter on the table, I couldn't believe it. Though he said he loved me, my husband had committed suicide by a drug overdose. He had a successful medical practice. We had a good marriage; we shared everything. I was in shock for the next year.
As a Hindu, my life ended with my husband's death. The Hindu faith says this tragedy happened because of things I did or didn't do in my previous lives. I was only reaping what I had sown. As I slipped into depression, my three teenage daughters encouraged me to attend the church where they had gone to Sunday school as children. I went, somewhat unwillingly. I was surprised at how loving everyone was towards me. They prayed for me and seemed to really care. At Hindu gatherings, I didn't feel the same love and acceptance.
So I kept going back to church even though I was suspicious of Christians. I didn't think I deserved their love. Gradually, through talking with Christians and reading the Bible, I understood there was nothing I could do to gain God's favor. His love for me doesn't depend on what have or haven't done. That's why Jesus died -- to forgive me. He is the only way to God.
Because of that gift of forgiveness, I've been able to forgive my husband and myself for his suicide. Only God can give the peace, love and joy I've experienced since then."
Hebrews 9:22
"In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."
Psalm 103:11-12
"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." The Message version says "And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins."
But is forgiveness separation from sin? I'm not so certain. While I do believe God's forgiveness is the acknowledgement and acceptance of Jesus' sacrifice to replace our sins with God's grace, I don't think the sins are forgotten. Perhaps overlooked, but not forgotten.
I am reminded of the scene in "The Passion of the Christ" about the woman caught in adultery. Remembering back to what Jesus said in Jonn 8:11 "Then neither do I condemn you... Go now and leave your life of sin." Jesus' "forgiveness" did not condone (leave your life of sin), but it did overwhelmingly flood her life with grace. She was given a clean slate! I
wonder how the rest of her life turned out? If she really was the character that Mel Gibson interpreted her to be, what an example of the impact forgiveness can have.
Forgiveness is truly the only way to heaven. We must accept the sacrifice for our sins and be forgiven in order to live eternally with God. And what a refreshing perspective as compared to other religions. The burden rests on God to forgive us, not us to get better or improve. How can people live their life not knowing their eternal destination and wondering if they have done enough. It is not what we have done, but what God has done.
And a few random quotes on forgiveness between people...
"Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much." - Oscar Wilde
"Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were." - Cherie Carter-Scott
"Forgiveness is almost a selfish act because of its immense benefits to the one who forgives." - Lawana Blackwell
"Pray you now, forget and forgive." - William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), "King Lear", Act 4 scene
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February 20, 2004
Patience
Filed under: Hot Topic
The dictionary defines patience as:
The capacity, quality, or fact of being patient.
The word "patient" means:
1. Bearing or enduring pain, difficulty, provocation, or annoyance with calmness.
2. Marked by or exhibiting calm endurance of pain, difficulty, provocation, or annoyance.
3. Tolerant; understanding: an unfailingly patient leader and guide.
4. Persevering; constant: With patient industry.
5. Capable of calmly awaiting an outcome or result; not hasty or impulsive.
6. Capable of bearing or enduring pain, difficulty, provocation, or annoyance.
In the Old Testament God displayed patience by being "slow to anger."
Exodus 34:6
"And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness..."
Numbers 14:18
"The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation."
Psalm 86:15, Psalm 103:8, Psalm 145:8
"But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness."
Jonah 4:2
"He prayed to the LORD, 'O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity...'"
Notice how every verse mentioned above all say nearly the same thing - and are quoting almost verbatim. (As a side note, I do find it interesting that the phrase is "slow to anger." That almost implies that the anger is inevitable does it not?)
The Bible talks a lot about being patient...
Proverbs 19:11
"A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense."
Proverbs 25:15
"Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone."
Ecclesiastes 7:8
"The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride."
Galatians 5:22
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness..."
Galatians 6:9
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
2 Timothy 4:2
"Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction."
Even "men" talk about patience...
"If I have ever made any valuable discoveries, it has been owing more to patient attention, than to any other talent." - Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727)
"Patience is the companion of wisdom." - Saint Augustine (354 AD - 430 AD)
Conclusions
I think patience is an indicator or reflection that something significant justifies the wait. Whether it be the report from the doctor after the X-rays or the 5 months before the big vacation cruise, patience is the virtue that gives meaning to what is next. Without patience, life's important moments and learning times can become everyday. How many of us tend to remember the every day? How often do we recall the extra ordinary moments in life that were often precluded with a wait.
God's example of being "slow to anger" in the Old Testament is a great example of being patient for what is to come. God's patience was a measuring stick for the promise land. And how sweet that was for God and the Israelites.
I want patience because I want what is next. Not what is now.
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February 13, 2004
Contentment
Filed under: Hot Topic
The dictionary defines contentment as:
1. A source of satisfaction;
2. The act or process of contenting or satisfying;
3. Gratification; pleasure; satisfaction.
1 Timothy 6:6-10
"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."
"Godliness with contentment is great gain." Notice how it doesn't just say contentment is great gain, but godliness with contentment is great gain. My what a scare it would be if we were content without godliness. What a great lesson to learn. Don't be content with anything outside of the context of
godliness. The question of "how do you know when you will be content" can only truly be answered in light of Godliness.
Matthew 5:5
"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are - no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought."
Notice how the verse does NOT read "you're blessed when you're content with just what you have." No, it says you're blessed when you're content with who you are. What a great way to measure contentment - by who we are, not what we have like I think the Western mindset often does.
John 14 details a moment when Jesus is explaining to the disciples who He is. He is the road and the truth and the life. "No one gets to the Father apart from me." "If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You've even seen him!" Then Phillip says, "Master, show us the Father; then we'll be content." Jesus' response seems a little peeved. "You've been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don't understand? To see me is to see the Father. So how can you ask, 'Where is the Father?' Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren't mere words. I don't just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act." This moment seems to reflect a longing for contentment on
behalf of Phillip (maybe even the disciples). A contentment that looks to rest in the comfort of knowing who the real person in charge is. It is as if Phillip learns that Jesus has a boss (father) and wants the word from the source. Wants to know that he (Phillip) really does have a future.
Philippians 4:11-13
"Actually, I don't have a sense of needing anything personally. I've learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am."
The Puritan preacher of the 1800s Thomas Watson points out in his book "The Art of Divine Contentment" that Paul's point of having "learned" contentment (Philippians 4:11) is key. Too many times we hear contentment, but have we actually learned it?
"He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have." -Socrates
"Contentment without external honor is humility." -Grew
"Being 'contented' ought to mean in English, as it does in French, being pleased. Being content with an attic ought not to mean being unable to move from it and resigned to living in it; it ought to mean appreciating all there is in such a position." -G.K. Chesterton
"Content makes poor men rich; discontentment makes rich men poor." -Benjamin
Franklin
"It is right to be contented with what we have, but never with what we are." -James Mackintosh
This last quote by James Makintosh at first struck me as right on, but the more I got to thinking about it the more I think it is off. I think we should be content with who we are, but never satisfied.
Content but never satisfied.
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February 6, 2004
Tithe
Filed under: Hot Topic
The dictionary defines tithe as:
A tenth part of one's annual income contributed voluntarily or due as a tax, especially for the support of the clergy or church.
A search in the NIV for the word "tithe" brings up 28 verses.
Jesus tells a story in Luke 18:10-13. "Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax man. The Pharisee posed and prayed like this: "Oh, God, I thank you that I am not like other people--robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, heaven forbid, like this tax man. I fast twice a
week and tithe on all my income.' "Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, not daring to look up, said, "God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.'"
Jesus goes on to say that the tax man is better off than the Pharisee. The spirit or tone from Jesus seems to be leading up to His death on the cross that will abolish all laws and wipe the slate clean.
Ephesians 2:14-15 talks about Christ coming to repeal [revoke or rescind, obsolete, recall] the law code which called for people to tithe. "The Messiah has made things up between us so that we're now together on this, both non-Jewish outsiders and Jewish insiders. He tore down the wall we used
to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody."
It is important to note that although tithing was a part of the laws God gave Moses, it was also referenced several times before God ever even gave Moses the law.
Genesis 14:20: "...then Abram gave him a tenth of everything."
Genesis 28:22: "...and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."
Hebrews 7:6: "...yet he collected a tenth from Abraham..."
Yet even in the context of tithing outside of a "command," tithing still appears optional. There is no supporting evidence that suggests God commanded anyone to tithe - outside of the Mosaic law.
A very interesting article on the reason why tithing is not Biblical can be found at http://www.layhands.com/MustChristiansTitheTenPercent.htm
In all of my studying on this subject, I must say I was very surprised to find so many articles and discussions on why tithing is NOT something Christians need to do. I found very few articles on reasons why to tithe, and even less that were convincing.
Growing up I was always taught to tithe. I gave 10% of everything I grossed. I was told that was God's and not mine so I needed to give it to Him. All of the Scriptures that were used were right from the Mosaic law and all pointed back to getting money to the church. Period. It doesn't seem to me that God was so insistent on getting money to the storehouse as much as he was on people's needs being met, thus I think the spirit of the tithe was called for.
Today, I believe tithing is a principle not a mandate. If someone can't give 10% of their gross income to God (or all of it for that matter), I think we're living life backwards. Life is about giving, it is not about getting. Throughout the entire Bible we see God's examples of giving and of course the ultimate example on the cross. To think that God doesn't get the credit for all that we already have and not want to give out of that blessing is crazy.
We can never out-give God. But it sure would be fun to try.
And wouldn't that same spirit abolish the whole tithing concept altogether?
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