Liberating you from bad ideas about God
Here is a humorous video I saw this week.
This video is partly funny because it’s true. There are some house churches out there that want to be “the best” and “most popular” house church in town, and take offense if anybody leaves their house church to attend another house church in town. These are all values of the mega church.
The issue of the sovereignty of God in relation to natural catastrophes is a difficult subject with few answers.
But what is ironic about the sovereignty of God is that while God’s people often pay lip service to His sovereignty, we just as often live as if God was not sovereign.
Take Jonah and the sailors as an example.
In Jonah 1:9, Jonah claims to fear God, but he does nothing in Jonah 1 to show it. In fact, in every circumstance, he does exactly the opposite.
God tells him to go to Nineveh, but Jonah goes to Tarshish. God sends a storm to get Jonah to admit his guilt, but Jonah falls asleep in the belly of the boat. Through the casting of the lots, God singles out Jonah as the one responsible for the storm, and rather than tell the sailors to turn the ship around, Jonah tells them to sacrifice him to the waves. The sailors ask him questions about Yahweh, and Jonah gives them bad theology and bad ideas about God. At every step along the way, Jonah shows contempt for the will and ways of the God he claims to serve.
The sailors, who know nothing about God, end up fearing Yahweh and worshiping Him in truth in ways that Jonah never does. They pray to Him when Jonah is silent. They ask confession for sin they haven’t even committed while Jonah refuses to repent for a grievous sin he did commit. They make sacrifices to God and take vows, when Jonah refuses to even acknowledge God’s sovereignty over his life. The sailors show respect and honor for Yahweh while Jonah only dishonors God. Clearly, the author of the book of Jonah wants to show a clear contrast between the actions and attitude of Jonah with those of the pagan sailors.
Every month I join with others around the world in writing about a common theme or idea. This month, we want to focus on some of our plans for serving others in 2013. We are doing this, not to brag about how we serve others, but to hopefully provide some ideas and suggestions for one another on how we can show the love of Jesus to those in our neighborhoods and towns.
So here are a few of the ways I and my family are seeking to serve others in 2013.
You may not realize it, but no matter where you live, there are people all around you who experience great pain, turmoil, and difficulty in life. It may be marital problems, child-rearing problems, financial problems, work problems, health problems, or a combination of all these.
As a follower of Jesus, you have been placed in your neighborhood to be a beacon of light, hope, restoration, and redemption to the people around you. We do not live where we live just so we have a place to park our car at night and sleep. Each of us is an ambassador of Jesus Christ and the Reign of God to those around us. We are there to love and serve.
Getting to know your neighbors is not easy though. It takes time, effort, and even some money. I am not an expert at this, but am learning from people who are, such as my wife, and my friend Sam, who has written a great series of posts on this very subject.
In our case, we were recently invited to a Christmas party at a guys house down the road from us, and met many people in our neighborhood. If people on your block throw parties like this, go! Yes, even if there is drinking and coarse language! GO! If they don’t throw parties like this, throw one of your own. Have a BBQ for people on your street, or at least take plates of cookies or fresh-baked bread over to them to introduce yourself and begin to develop that relationship with them which will eventually provide the freedom and opening for them to share their fears and struggles with you. And when that happens, respond with love and care, not with judgmentalism and criticism.
Another thing we are doing this year is getting involved with the poor and needy in our area. We have found two homeless shelters near us, and are taking steps to volunteer there.
I read the following on a Facebook Group I am part of, and just had to share it with you as well. Thanks goes to Tash Peterz Gitau for posting it.
At the gas station:
-Hello, you’re invited to the Dodger Stadium for a free event! (hands me a flyer).
-What kind of event?
-It’s a music concert.
-Really? Who’s playing for free at the Dodger Stadium? (He lists 5 well-known Christian bands). Those sound like Christian bands aren’t they?
-Yes, but they’re really good!
-Who pays for the stadium rental, sound, and lighting?
-Well there will be a free-will offering taken, but it’s only on a donation basis.
-Hmm, when I invite the neighbor’s kids over for a birthday party, we don’t take an offering. That’s what you call a real free event.
