Damage Done By Display

This is an article I wrote several years ago for my corps newsletter. It has appeared in different periodicals and newsletters since then, with essentially the same text. So, here it is again will very little editing since its first appearance in 1993.

Whether Biblical bumperstickers are within the confines of Christianity or not is still uncertain to me. In Matthew 6:6 the Bible says: "...When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen...." In the proceeding verse it warns against praying "on street corners to be seen by men." I am not sure that this public display of "Christianity" is necessary or right. However this is not the topic of this article, the topic is what happens once these billboards of "Faith" are on display.

I can't tell you the number of times that as a car goes zooming past me, all I can make out is that: "The Lord is my Co-Pilot" bumpersticker. [Don’t even get me started on the idea of God as Co-Pilot!] What does that say to the non-Christian--"Well, there goes one of those self-righteous so and so's." Speeding is a law and breaking that law is a sin. The Bible says to obey man's law in at least three places. The most popular is probably Romans 13:1: "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established." That does NOT say: "Well, if the law is silly one or is not enforced, you need not obey it because you are "Christians." Quite the opposite, because you are a professing believer in Jesus Christ, you need to set the best example, follow the laws made by our Civil Authorities.

In Titus 3:1, we find Paul instructing Titus to remind God's people to, "...Subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good...." It isn't just speeding; how many times have you allowed someone other than yourself to use your vehicle--children, sibling, neighbor, anyone. Do you only allow "Christians" to use your vehicle? Let's say that while your brother, who is not a believer, has your car, he gets cut off in traffic; he then proceeds to flip-off the driver of the other car. You wouldn't (and didn’t) do that, but the impact is the same because everyone who saw the action also saw that, "Jesus is Lord" bumpersticker or license plate. The damage is done. You might as well have done it yourself. BillyBob, who got flipped off, has no way of knowing that it isn't a Believer in the car. He has, however, added more ammunition to his "Can't convert me" arsenal.

What can you do? I believe that a witnessing is an important part of the walk toward Christianity; but somewhere people got suckered into mass marketing. My witness is a very personal thing, it cannot be summed up or expressed in writing, much less on the limited area of bumperstickers or license plates. The way I act in traffic, on the elevator, at the workplace and at-home is a witness in itself. If you are truly striving to be Christ-like, people will be able to notice something, without the "He is Lord" tags—your life can be the fragrance of Christ.

Get out the rubbing alcohol and razorblade or the screwdriver and get that misplaced billboard off of your vehicle.

Always Remember: "Whose you are, and at what cost."

Good Friday

One of the most sacred days on the Christian Calendar, Good Friday is often misunderstood by many--inside and outside of the Church.

Since this is "Controversial", let me start with the use of the Cross to symbolize Jesus. I've never really understood this obsession. This is another case of the Church taking an existing tradition with a very negative world image and altering it to fit the need. Don't get me wrong, I understand that Christ's death was a pivotal point in the history of the world. A deciding factor in God's perfect (though mostly unknown) plan. But the cross wasn't invented for Jesus--thousands of others were crucified before Him and thousands more after Him.

In much the same way Baptism and Halloween were both pagan traditions the Church took and manipulated for their purpose. [Unfortunately, we've given Halloween back.] I realize that baptism was used as a tool to bridge the immense gulf between the poly-theist and mono-theist (Christ-centered) faiths. But is was still a pagan tradition--but that is a conversation for a much later time. [But that little teaser, should be enough to tick off a few folks--though that isn't my purpose.]

Back to the cross. Yes, the old testament scriptures give some prophetic guidance as to the event, but they mainly point to a death of disgrace. Let's be honest, what form of public execution isn't seen through an eye of disgrace? Public beheading did take place back then. Can you imagine if that form of execution would have been used? We would all be wearing little axes on our necklaces, or have them dangling from our rear-view mirrors.

So if Christ's torturous death on the cross isn't so special in my eyes, do I hold Good Friday in the same esteem as so many others who call themselves Christian? Yes!

As I see it, Good Friday has three imperative aspects--and none of them involve a cross per se.

1. The willing, complete, and perfect sacrifice of the Christ--God's Son, part of the Trinity. How He presented Himself is not so important to me, except to the degree in which it fulfilled prophecy.
2. The tearing of the shroud. That curtain that once separated God from His people was ripped asunder through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. This event alone allows us to speak directly to God, through the intercession of His Son, and the 'groans' of the Holy Spirit.
3. Christ's dissension into Hell--and the subsequent vanquishing of our burden of sin which put Him there.

Good Friday is indeed "Good"--for us. But when we celebrate the cross rather than the man on it, we loose the point, and soil His total sacrifice.

PS: What ever happened to all those dead folks who were resurrected at the moment of Christ's death?

Always Remember: "Whose you are, and at what cost."

Palm Sunday

It is Palm Sunday...one of my very favorite days in the Church Calendar.

The crowd cheering the coming Messiah, Deliverer. The masses glimpse the freedom from bondage they so desperately crave. Of course, they fail to see that their bondage to the Romans was nothing compared to their spiritual bondage--the very bondage Jesus came to deliver them from.

I get chills when I think about my Jesus--eyes, arms, and heart open wide--pushing through the crowd of excited Jews and Gentiles alike. All rightfully praising His name. All the while the Pharisees look on with scorn. I imagine Jesus seeing them out of the corner of His eye, and His smile growing broader knowing that this outpouring of love so bothered them. I strain to imagine the energy (maybe even that of the Holy Spirit) buzzing in the air when Jesus answers their rebuke with: "...the stones will cry out." (Luke 19:40)

Can you imagine? Not only will every knee bow, and even tongue confess that Jesus Chris is Lord, but all of God's creation--the stones themselves--will declare the sovereignty of my Jesus! The same Jesus that has granted me the rights as His Co-heir!
I LOVE Palm Sunday!!!

Always Remember: "Whose you are, and at what cost."

Happy New Moment

This article is actually from my most recent Friday Funnies (Jan 4). But I liked it so much I decided to post it hear as well...though it isn't too controversial.

Happy New Year, Happy New Week, Happy New Day, Happy New Hour, Happy New Moment; yes, Happy New Moment. My two small children have little or no sense of time. My wife mentioned going to Disney "in a couple years" to our 3 1/2 year old. Now he regularly askes if we are going to Disney "tomorrow". When we say something like: "Do you know where we are going Saturday?" His answer will almost certainly be an excited "Disney!?!" Tomorrow means very little to him, much less next year.

We are all God's children, and we too can (maybe should) lose the perspective of time. God's time is not our time ( 2 Peter 3:8, Psalm 90:4), we cannot wrap our mind around 'always has been, always will be.' It is too easy to try to break up eternity (and all its consequences) into years, decades, or even millennia--but those are our concepts, God's is eternal and infinite.

We have New Year's Resolutions: We are going to lose weight, be better with money, spend more time with family, etc. But because they are anchored to a "year" we almost always fail. Tomorrow is much to easy when we have a whole year to get it done. The same is true with Christian living and the discipline God's children are called to.

We have to be true to each moment, we have to be the reflection of Christ this very moment and only for a moment--but moment after moment. When we try to be Christ-like 'today'; well, that isn't over until we crawl into bed, there's still plenty of time. Besides, we aren't going to do anything truly bad, right?

In the time since you started reading this, at least a couple moments have past, were you reflecting Christ? NOW, is a new moment, Happy New Moment...reflect Christ in this moment...just this moment, until the next one and then reflect Him again...only for a moment.

Live in the moment. Lose your sense of time.  Know that this moment is God's moment, we are just its steward. We are called to reflect our Savior. We are called be His children..."Are we there yet?"

Always Remember: "Whose you are, and at what cost."