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A safer world than before

10/27/2014

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The world is a getting safer. For centuries, violence has been subsiding.

Really? Most people find this hard to believe.

But consider evidence presented by Stephen Pinker in his fascinating book, The Better Angels of our Nature (a Lincoln quote), published by Viking in 2011. Pinker teaches psychology at Harvard University and has won awards for his prior research.

The book is subtitled, Why Violence Has Declined. Pinker argues, “The decline of violence may be the most significant and least appreciated development in the history of our species. Its implications touch the core of our beliefs and values—for what could be more fundamental than an understanding of whether the human condition, over the course of its history, has gotten steadily better, steadily worse, or has not changed?” (692).

Pinker argues that in point of fact violence has declined over time and continues to do so.

The Evidence

Pinker takes the long view, covering many millennia. But his primary focus is the last 2000 years. He marshals a wide range of data to prove his case that as a long-term trend, human violence has dropped dramatically.

Can it be? “Wasn’t the 20th century the bloodiest in history?” Pinker asks. “Haven’t new forms of war replaced old ones? Aren’t we living in the Age of Terror?” Yes, but, he says. “[F]or all the dangers we face today, the dangers of yesterday were even worse.” Unlike the past, most people today “no longer have to worry about abduction into sexual slavery, divinely commanded genocide, lethal circuses and tournaments, punishment on the cross, rack, stake, or strappado for holding unpopular beliefs, decapitation for not bearing a son, disembowelment for having dated a royal, pistol duels to defend their honor, . . . and the prospect of a nuclear world war that would put an end to civilization or to human life itself” (30).

Such evils still exist, of course. But Pinker points to statistics. It’s true many people today—in some cases, millions—face lethal dangers like betrayal into slavery or the threat of genocide. But over centuries, and continuing today, the incidence of such horrors has been declining.

This can look like a cold, heartless analysis. Who cares about statistics when one’s six-year-old child has just been gunned down in her own classroom? And yet the very horror and immediacy of such violence can immunize us to the truth of larger trends. Or so Pinker argues.

Pinker focuses on the centuries-long decline in violence, particularly homicide, in Europe. He shows that in England murder rates have dropped dramatically since about 1200--“from the 13th century to the 20th, homicide in various parts of England plummeted by a factor of ten, fifty, and in some cases a hundred” (60). Unearthing this data, he says, “confounds every stereotype about the idyllic past and the degenerate present. When I surveyed perceptions of violence in an Internet questionnaire, people guessed that 20th-century England was about 14 percent more violent than 14th-century England. In fact it was 95 percent less violent” (61). Today Europe is the safest place in the world to live.

Violence and Human Culture

Pinker discusses violence within the larger context of culture and “the civilizing process.” As societies get organized into larger units, violence gradually comes under control—partly through government action (police or military, law codes) and partly because more civil behavior gradually becomes the cultural norm.

Drawing upon (with some qualification) the work of Norbert Elias (1897-1990), Pinker describes what happened in Europe over the past 800 years or so. “Europeans increasingly inhibited their impulses, anticipated the long-term consequences of their actions, and took other people’s thoughts and feelings into consideration. A culture of honor—the readiness to take revenge—gave way to a culture of dignity—the readiness to control one’s emotions.” This shift first took hold among “aristocrats and noblemen,” but these new values “were then absorbed into the socialization of younger and younger children until they became second nature.” The new norms also “trickled down from the upper classes to the bourgeoisie that strove to emulate them, and from them to the lower classes, eventually becoming a part of the culture as a whole” (72). More pacific values and norms got increasingly internalized.

This change brought an array of cultural benefits, Pinker argues. “Across time and space, the more peaceable societies also tend to be richer, healthier, better educated, better governed, more respectful of their women, and more likely to engage in trade” (xxiii). “Since violence is largely a male pastime,” he adds, “cultures that empower women tend to move away from the glorification of violence and are less likely to breed dangerous subcultures of rootless young men” (xxvi).

Pinker’s basic argument is that “we enjoy the peace we find today because people in past generations were appalled by the violence in their time and worked to reduce it, and so we should work to reduce the violence that remains in our time” (xxvi).

Kingdom of God Reflection

Pinker’s evidence seems pretty convincing. It is important precisely because it is so counterintuitive. It is a reminder not to take for granted, at face value, what we hear on the news. We all know that bad things make news in ways that good things don’t.

Pinker misreads history, however, in at least one important respect. He largely ignores the role of Christian faith and ethics as a key factor in reducing violence, and more generally in “the civilizing process.” He engagingly describes the results, in other words, but misreads the causes.

My point at the moment, however, is simply that we—Christians and non-Christians alike—easily misread our own culture. All of us are caught up with the news of the day and our current concerns. Necessarily so. We simply don’t have the data nor the historical perspective to see the big picture or know how to read it.

This is a key reason why we need constantly to immerse ourselves in Scripture and keep company with the saints, not only of our time but of the ages. Aside from everything else we can say about the Bible, we can say this: It wasn’t written in the last ten or one hundred years! It’s not of our age. It breathes other ages and cultures and stories. It (so to speak) operates on different assumptions. That is its strength, not its weakness; its relevance, not its irrelevance. It teaches the way of love and shalom through Jesus Christ; the peaceable kingdom.

Plus, the Bible is the inspired, once-for-all written Word of God! We need it in order to “read” our own time and place.

The Bible of course doesn’t answer the question of whether violence is really increasing or subsiding over time. The Bible promises both that evil will increase (2 Tim. 3:1-13) and that God’s kingdom will come. His will done on earth. The Bible leaves us with that conundrum.

But really, it’s not a conundrum. It is a challenge and a call to kingdom faithfulness. The two ways. The world will get better or worse, or both at the same time. A whole lot depends on the faithfulness of God’s people in responding to God’s grace and power and being agents of God’s kingdom coming in our world today.

Meanwhile, let’s not buy into the popular pseudo-Christian myth that our world is inevitably and irredeemably going to the dogs. The gospel is more powerful than that.

This post was written by Dr Howard Snyder.  For the original post with comments, go to:  http://seedbed.com/feed/the-world-is-getting-safer/

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

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The House Church Movement

10/22/2014

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We in the West are nowhere near the persecution level of those living in Muslim nations or communist nations such as China or Vietnam.  We know little to no physical attacks here for the gospel.  While I know a few open air preachers who have been arrested for preaching and have been physically attacked by people, most people just go through their day-to-day lives without fear of attack for their Christian faith.  That may change in the future but for now, we enjoy only verbal persecution from the secular media and from the liberals on college campuses.

I do believe, however, that the house church movement will become a dominant force in the Christian culture in the coming years.  It is the house church movement that has sustained (by the grace of God) the disciples in China.  It is the house church movement that sustained the saints of God in the former communist Soviet Union.  It is the house church movement that is growing in Europe as people grow tired of the institutional church and are looking elsewhere for true faith.  It will be the house churches in the United States that will see growth and souls saved as they remain steadfast in the Word of God.

Why will this be?  For several reasons but let me just name a few.

1.  Authentic Faith.  

House churches offer a place for people to live out their faith with others.  There is no hiding here.  You can just show up at a traditional church and no one may even know you are there or even care in some cases.  Not so with house churches.   A "large" house church would be over 10 people so you can't hide.  We will know your name.  We know your life.  We will both disciple and challenge you in your faith.  This, I believe, was the model of Jesus and should be ours as well.  True discipleship is not learning from a book or sitting in a class.  True discipleship is taking the "one another" texts of the New Testament and seeking to obey them (there are 52 in the NT).  This leads to authentic faith and not merely a show on the stage of many traditional churches.

2.  No Money.

House churches need no money.  There are no salaried pastors.  No land to buy.  No buildings to pay for.  While house churches do sometimes take up money for missions or for hurting Christians, house churches have no budgets to meet, no bills to pay.  I once read that 75% of money in the traditional churches goes toward salaries and buildings.  None of that is found in house churches.  If a disciple wants to give money to their church then so be it.  The house church would then take the money and give it to help church planters (missionaries) or hurting disciples.  This is the NT pattern.

Many people reject going to church because of the emphasis they perceive on money.  With the false "health and wealth" churches and the so-called "prosperity" gospel, many are turned off to Christianity because of their false teachers.  The house church movement doesn't want your money.

3.  Can Move Around Quickly.


The house churches in China are said to move around quickly.  They do this to avoid arrest.  I have heard the same of the few house churches in North Korea.  Because house churches are not locked down to a building, they don't need government approval to meet nor do they have to meet all the time in one place.  House churches in China often will meet several times a week at different locations to accommodate the needs of the saints.  They don't just meet on the Lord's Day.

Here in the United States, traditional churches are locked down in their buildings.  They need people to generate money for their buildings to pay the bills.  At times, the gospel can be watered down and pragmatism reigns as traditional pastors need people to keep coming to pay the bills.  Further, traditional churches fall under the watchful eye of the government.  As freedom falls in the West, traditional churches will suffer the most as people flee them.

The house church movement will thrive at this point with no buildings, no bills, no salaries, no paper trails, no 501C3.

4.  Can Preach What They Want To.

Traditional churches will no doubt face sensor from the government.  There may come a time where it is illegal to preach against popular sins  (being viewed as discrimination).  The government will monitor the traditional church (as they do in China).  Traditional churches will have to comply or be gone.

House churches will continue to preach the gospel without hinderance.  Why?  Because what can they take from us but our lives (Philippians 1:21)?  Jesus promised us persecution as His followers (Matthew 5:10-12).  Jesus said that if we are His disciples, we will face persecution and hatred (John 15:18-20).  But He told us to be encouraged for He has overcome the world (John 16:33).  In the house churches, we will preach the gospel.  We have no 501c3 you can take.  We have no buildings you can cast us out of.  We have no salaries that require that we go soft on the gospel for the sake of money.  We have no need of this world to survive.  We have the Word of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit so we will be fine.

For more information on the house church movement, please see:

House Church Central

New Testament Reformation Fellowship 

Reimagining Church: Pursuing the Dream of Organic Christianity

This post was written by the Seeking Disciple.  For his original post, go to:  http://arminiantoday.wordpress.com/2014/10/21/the-house-church-movement-and-the-future-of-the-usa/




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Control your own drawbridge

10/20/2014

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From Henri Nouwen: You must decide for yourself to whom and when you give access to your interior life. For years you have permitted others to walk in and out of your life according to their needs and desires. Thus you were no longer master in your own house, and you felt increasingly used. So, too, you quickly became tired, irritated, angry, and resentful. 

Think of a medieval castle surrounded by a moat. The drawbridge is the only access to the interior of the castle. The lord of the castle must have the power to decide when to draw the bridge and when to let it down. Without such power, he can become the victim of enemies, strangers, and wanderers. He will never feel at peace in his own castle.

It is important for you to control your own drawbridge. There must be times when you keep your bridge drawn and have the opportunity to be alone or only with those to whom you feel close. Never allow yourself to become public property, where anyone can walk in and out at will. You might think that you are being generous in giving access to anyone who wants to enter or leave, but you will soon find yourself losing your soul.

When you claim for yourself the power over your drawbridge, you will discover new joy and peace in your heart and find yourself able to share that joy and peace with others.

__________

Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom (New York: Image Books Doubleday, 1998), 84-85.



This post is taken from Credendum.  For the original post, go to:  http://www.credendum.net/home/control-your-own-drawbridge



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We are carriers of God's kingdom

9/12/2014

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Random thoughts on the Kingdom of God: We are carriers of the Kingdom of God. It is like a circle around us—like a huge hulahoop and where we go it goes with us. We carry the Kingdom with us into different arenas of life. Or imagine a frog sitting on a lily pad. There is friction between the frog’s feet and the surface of the lily pad. And friction is connection. If I were to push the frog the lily pad under him would be carried along with him. Where the lily pad goes the frog goes and where the frog goes the lily pad goes. The Kingdom of God is like that lily pad stuck to our feet. Where we go the Kingdom of God goes and where the Kingdom goes we are carried along with it.

Therefore our job is to develop a connection of friction with the Kingdom of God so that it becomes “stuck” to the soles of our feet. As Kingdom people we have the capacity to bring new “ground”, new “soil” and a new “atmosphere” into a country simply by bringing our presence into a country and abiding there. It is not necessarily us that changes and transforms anything within a culture. Rather it is the presence of our Lord and Savior abiding within us and being lived out through us. In that sense we are simply carriers of the presence of our King and therefore carriers of His Kingdom.

This post was written by StriderMTB.  He directs an orphanage in an Asian country.  For the original post, go to:  http://atheologyintension.wordpress.com/2014/01/09/we-are-carriers-of-gods-kingdom/


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Hating sin

9/11/2014

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Within the heart of every disciple of Jesus should be an intense hatred for sin.  We despise not just the sins that we sin in the world but we detest even more so the sin that we sin in us.  We hate the sin of pride, the sin of hypocrisy that we sin in us.  We long to be like Jesus in all that we say and do (1 John 2:6) but we see that we are often far from that perfect standard (Matthew 5:48).

And I believe this is a great assurance that we are truly saved.  This hatred for sin.  There is no denying that the Bible forbids us from dwelling in sin (1 John 3:4-10).  Paul the Apostle teaches us in Romans 6 that having been baptized into Christ Jesus, we are now free from sin and its power.  We are free to be slaves of righteousness.

However, I still see sin in my life.  I don't mean that I wake up and commit sin.  I hate sin.  But I still find the Holy Spirit placing His gentle hand upon me and revealing to me my own arrogance, my own pride, my own self-righteousness and my sins of the tongue (James 3:1-12).  There are seasons it seems where the Spirit will give me that assurance that I am focused on Christ and He truly is my reward but then there are times where the Holy Spirit reveals to me my sins.  I have learned to love those times.  I have learned that the Holy Spirit is doing this out of love for me and not out of condemnation (Romans 8:1).  I remember that Hebrews 12:5-6 and I keep coming back to that text as the Spirit opens my wicked heart up to show me what I need to repent of.

Repentance is an ongoing process.  I have been a disciple of Jesus for over 20 years and I find that He is still working on me.  The Spirit of God is still in the process of making me more like Christ.  I don't doubt that I am much different from when I first repented.  I have come a long ways.  Yet I still have far to go.  I might not struggle with what I struggled with as a 17-year-old when I was baptized into Christ but I am still far from what I want to be.

We live in a sinful fallen world.  We live in a world with sin all around us.  Satan uses these tools to attract the world to its destruction.  For the disciple of Christ, we hate this world (1 John 2:15-17).  We long to be clothed in perfect righteousness where we will not struggle with sin.  We long to forever with our Lord and away from this sinful world.  Yet we remain here and we have to fight against sin.  We do this not by our own will power but in the power of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-17) and through the hope that we have in the gospel.  Our salvation is based on the work of Jesus Christ and what He has done (John 19:30; Ephesians 1:7).  Our salvation is based not on our works but upon the saving work of the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).  This does not take away our personal responsibility before God but empowers us toward holiness (Titus 2:12).  Holiness flows from grace (Ephesians 2:10).

I pray that all disciples of Jesus will hate sin.  I pray that we all would long to be like Christ in all that we are (Ephesians 5:1-2).  God calls us to holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16) and this is accomplished one step at a time.  Along the way, I trust the Lord to be faithful to His promises and sanctify me (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).



This post was written by my friend, The Seeking Disciple.  For the original post, go to:  http://arminiantoday.wordpress.com/2014/09/07/hating-sin/



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Dwayne Allen:  From Hell Raiser to Devout Christian

9/8/2014

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INDIANAPOLIS -The story has been told before, but it's worth telling again, if only to better understand the evolution of Colts tight end Dwayne Allen.

“I was in high school walking to gym class, and I was a write-up away from being kicked out of high school,'' the Colts tight end said recently. “I'd already been in alternative school throughout middle school.

“I was walking, and the football head coach saw me and asked if I played football. At that time, I was a big basketball player, but I wasn't playing football. He told me, with my size and athletic ability, I could someday plan on Saturdays and if I really wanted to and was willing to work for it, I could play on Sundays.

“So he proceeded to go back to his office and come back with a $10 bill. He said, `Now, Dwayne, you can take this 10 dollars and go buy a bag of dope, or you can use this money to take a physical and show up to practice Monday'.''

Allen, who grew up in the Fayetteville, N.C., in rough socioeconomic circumstances, made the right choice, even if he spent a lot of his childhood making the wrong choices.

It's at this point that we write “…and the rest was history,'' but that's only part of his story.

While that was a seminal moment in Allen's personal evolution, so was this: Last year, while sitting out nearly the entire season while recovering from a hip injury he suffered in the season's first game, Allen underwent a religious conversion. Now, like so many teammates and athletes throughout sports, he proudly proclaims himself to be a Christian.

In January, he was enjoying a quiet moment in his room at home when he opened a book that he received from a friend. It was “How Good Is Good Enough?'' by Andy Stanley. The book spoke to him in a deep and almost unfathomable way.

“The book really opened my eyes to some of the things I was doing that weren't right,'' Allen said. “I read it and I just dropped to my knees and started praying. That was January 8 of this past year. Then March 6, I was baptized. I did it without hesitation. I knew it was the right decision.''

This was quite a transformation for a young man who was, by his own admission, a bit of a hellion when he was growing up.

“Growing up in a single-parent home in the projects isn't the easiest way to grow up,'' Allen said. “I'm so thankful my head coach in high school came along and offered me an opportunity of a lifetime to play. And he continued to mold me as a man. He enriched me with character and values that, where I grew up, weren't respected and weren't taught.''

Allen grew up in a nominally Christian household, but didn't ascribe to the faith in any tangible way. If anything, he held to the same general notion espoused by Karl Marx, who talked about religion as the “opiate of the masses.''

“There was a time in my life when I believed whoever created religion was a genius who helped get people to believe in some external thing to help them hold onto their sanity,'' the thoughtful Allen said. “I was an atheist. I didn't believe in a higher power at all. I think people grow up thinking they have all the answers, or at least I did, and they can handle everything in life on their own.

“Slowly but surely, though, He started to show me how things happen for a reason, and from that, I adopted that philosophy and gained peace and contentment.''

He continued, “I was at a point where I really needed peace in my life. Whenever you're so busy with your life, or a girlfriend, or whatever, it's hiding the fact that you need peace. Then when that distraction is gone, you begin to go down that spiral. For me, football was that distraction. A lot of fans probably think otherwise, but honestly, I'm so thankful for being able to sit out last year. I just needed something. I was searching. And until this year, I just didn't know where to find that peace.''

By any measure, Allen had a marvelous rookie year two years ago, catching 45 passes for 521 yards while establishing himself as a mauling blocker. Last year, though, he was injured in the season opener, never to return. Now he's back, which means offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton can once again utilize his entire playbook, which is heavy with uses of dual tight ends.

Missing an entire season? For most, it's a lonely, challenging time. And Allen had his tough moments while living in the training room. But the time off gave him time to think, to come to terms with some of the issues in his life. And it gave him a chance to more fully immerse himself in the Indianapolis community. Mostly, though, he found out how much he missed football.

“I was able to sit back and really grow an appreciation for the game itself,'' Allen said. “I was good and I was good early, and I knew I was good. Not in a cocky way, but I started to plan things out, thinking I had everything in the bag. I really wasn't working as hard at my craft. I remember last year, my second training camp, I hated it. But I had a blast this year at camp. I really enjoyed the teaching aspect of the game and getting back to basics. And that's what I needed. I missed football.''

Backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is one of the religious leaders of the team, and has noticed changes in Allen.

“He's really grown since he came back,'' Hasselbeck said. “And he's become one of the young leaders of this team, kind of filled that role that opened up when Antoine Bethea left.''

When it comes to athletes, we can easily quantify their evolution statistically. With Allen, though, there's been a continued personal evolution. He says he has peace now, and that's most of the battle.



This post was written by Bob Kravitz of WTHR sports.  For the original post go to:  http://www.wthr.com/story/26451049/2014/09/04/kravitz-from-hell-raiser-to-devout-christian-colts-allen-evolves-on-the-field-and-off



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Do you want sin with that?

9/6/2014

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Sometimes there is nothing more convenient that taking a little detour through your local fast food establishment, and picking up a greasy burger. No matter how much of a health nut you are, anyone can admit that the ease of picking up a cheap meat-fix is unrivaled by any other nourishment. Doctors will tell us that these meals are not a part of a recommended diet…and sometimes, when these health professionals tell us this all we hear is Charlie Brown’s teacher. In fact I think there have been times when my doctor has explained the dangers of this type of diet and all I could think about was who currently has a promo for a sandwich with a pretzel bun.

Since my family has been eating healthier, this type of eating is more rare, but it still creeps into our regimen from time to time. It really isn’t detrimental if it is extremely rare, and every one knows that moderation is key in this context. No matter how often I tell myself this though, it seems like I fall into old habits and it is just so easy to eat this way regularly. No matter how many times someone tells me that this lifestyle is okay in moderation, the temptation sucks me in. I have realized that I have to be extra careful. The truth is there have been times when I have been addicted to this food. It starts with one meal, then someone else will pay the next day, and then we get home late the next day and that time is supposed to be our last. We then reflect on our month, and it is riddled with cheap meals with little nutritional value. When we are in the moment, there are so many excuses…they seem to make so much sense.

Something else interesting happens… I have found that, when I eat this way, I become more lethargic about my health. It becomes a lower priority, and relaxing moves higher on the list.

When we are involved in sin, we see similar symptoms. Each action seems okay in moderation, but after a while we begin to make excuses for why we are entitled to feel the way we do. We become lethargic about our own transformation because it is too hard. You see, sin is a form of spiritual nourishment…At the time it seems so satisfying and a craving is extinguished for a temporary time, but the more we allow ourselves to be overcome by it, we realize the power it has over us. Our anger, unforgiveness, addictions, or pride seems justified at the time and the easiest thing in the world is to give into it. THEN, as we become more comfortable with this lifestyle of giving into temptation, we become less comfortable with healthy behaviors (i.e. church, fellowship, giving, prayer, etc). If we allow it to win, we then find ourselves feeding bitterness until we transform into a being we were never intended to be.

Stop making excuses and choose health over sin. God loves you too much to allow you to be hypnotized into death.



This post was written by Rev DeCrastos.  For the original post, go to:  http://other-words.net/2014/09/01/do-you-want-sin-with-that/

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Are you really fooling anyone?

9/4/2014

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Sexual impurity has become rampant in the church because we've ignored the costly work of obedience to God's standards as individuals, asking too often, "How far can I go and still be called a Christian?"  We've crafted an image and may even seem sexually pure while permitting our eyes to play freely when no one is around,  avoiding the hard work of being sexually pure.

A search for mere excellence is an inadequate approach to God, leaving us vulnerable to snare after snare.  Our only hope is obedience.

If we don't kill every hint of immorality, we'll be captured by our tendency as males to draw sexual gratification and chemical highs through our eyes.  Be we can't deal with our maleness until we first reject our right to mix standards.  As we ask, "How holy can I be?" we must pray and commit to a new relationship with God, fully aligned with His call to obedience.

This material is taken from Every Man's Battle.  

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.


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Trippin' down memory lane

9/3/2014

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I was talking to a gentleman at a bar and he made an interesting comment.  "You know Sam that goes to your church?  You should talk to him.  He used to be one of the meanest men I've ever met."  He proceeded to tell about some of Sam's antics.  Some of Sam's antics were funny, some were off-color, and some were downright mean.  I knew Sam came to our church but I didn't know him very well.  

So, next Sunday, I found Sam after church and stopped him for a moment.  I told him that I met a man earlier in the week who told me about him.  I started to tell him  a bit of what I heard and he interrupted me.  What Sam said next startled me.  He said, "Dale, I'm a Christian now.  I am so ashamed of what I used to be.  I was not a nice man.  I cannot talk about it."  Sam said this in such a manner that it was obvious that I had  really hurt him.  I quickly apologized to him and he excused himself.

Sam taught me an important lesson that day.  

Do I take sin seriously?  
Do I take my sin seriously?

On another occasion, I was having lunch with a friend who was a new Christian.  In the midst of our conversation, he made this interesting comment, "As I grow in my faith, I learn how my past behavior, though forgiven, was shameful and wrong."  

That's one of many reasons why I love hanging out with new Christians.  They don't have all those defenses that "mature" Christians have.

My new friend taught me an important lesson that day.

Have I taken my sin seriously?  
Am I truly repentant of what I have done in the past?  

I'm not saying that I need to wallow in my past sinful behavior.   
I'm not saying that I need to live a life full of guilt. 

I just wonder if I take too many trips down memory lane, thinking about how much "fun" I used to have? 

Do I feel godly sorrow for my past?  
Do I feel regret for my past behavior?  

These men taught me that a real man faces his past and takes responsibility for his behavior.  A real man is sensitive to God's work in his life.  A real man doesn't recall past sinful behavior in a positive manner.  A real man is a new creation.  He adamantly rejects sin.

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.


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The sin of being good

8/25/2014

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I’m a church kid. I admit it. Let all Petra listening, Michael W. Smith dressing, Amy Grant secular crossover questioning 40-somethings stand up and be counted! I’m not ashamed.

OK, maybe I’m a little ashamed (mostly of the Petra Praise phenomenon, but alas).

I was a good kid. I had a sensitive heart. I didn’t like to disappoint my parents, my teachers, my youth pastors, and most of all…God. And so I embraced the quintessential good kid persona. I went to church, abstained from sex, didn’t swear, never drank alcohol, avoided rated R movies, parties on the weekends, and hanging Metallica posters on my wall.

And I don’t regret any of it. In fact, if I had it to do over again I would attempt to play all my cards exactly the same way. Being good solves a whole lot of problems, rest assured.

But it doesn’t make you righteous.

And that’s where I fear many of us (myself included) often stumble. We’ve defined sin and righteousness as behaviors, actions, and outward tangibles we can measure and see.

  • Going to a rated R movie = Sin
  • Going to a church youth group = Righteousness
  • Partying on the weekend = Sin
  • Avoiding cuss words = Righteousness
(The list could go endlessly on).

And that’s no small mistake. Why? You may have some difficulty believing this, but our desire to be rebellious pleasure seekers and our discipline to be squeaky-clean rule-followers actually originate in the same place…

…our insatiable desire to be our own savior.

Yeah, I know. It was a hard one for me to swallow, too. But sin isn’t rooted in our actions, it’s rooted in where we find our identity. In whom we place our trust.

It’s easy to see the sin in pleasure-seeking and self-obsession. It’s harder to convince yourself it’s just as present in your line-towing and self-righteousness. But be honest, our motivation in “being good” originates in our insatiable longing to secure our identity in our works. We want to be in control. We want to prove we’re “better than them.” We want to save ourselves.

  • If I obey, God will approve of me.
  • If I follow the rules, God will do what I want Him to do.
  • If I do good, God will do good things to me.



I am the source, my actions are the trigger, and God responds to me. I find my identity in my work for Him instead of His work for me. I begin to trust in my “goodness” and not His.

And that, my friends, is sin. The sin of “being good.”


So what am I suggesting? Should we throw out our attempts to be good right along with those old CCM CD’s? Of course not (some of those albums will be collector’s items soon). Being good is good. It’s wise. I highly recommend it.

But it’s not righteousness. That can only come from one place, and it’s not you. The Gospel is for “good people,” too.



This post was written by Rev Erik Cooper.  For the original post, go to:  http://beyondtherisk.com/2014/08/20/the-sin-of-being-good/



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