Taking God Seriously

Do you take God seriously?  Do you believe that God means what he says?  I believe that in today’s world we have a cancerous attitude that God will let us get away with some things as long as we are overall good people with good intentions.   We think that since God loves me so much that he won’t really punish me so severely for doing something wrong that isn’t really that bad.  This is simply not true.  This is Satan in the Garden.  When we have the attitude that God will make exceptions for our sin we are serving Satan. 

I want us to consider Moses.  If ever God loved someone, he loved Moses.  Exodus 33 says that God talked to Moses “face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.”  In Numbers 12 God intercedes for Moses to defend Moses against his brother Aaron and Aaron’s wife, Miriam.  God says to Aaron that to any other prophet, including Aaron, he makes himself known only in dreams and visions, but to Moses he speaks “mouth to mouth.” 

Moses was God’s man.  God’s love for Moses and Moses’ love for God is apparent throughout all of scripture.  If ever you could make the argument that God would be willing to bend the rules for someone, or that God would make an exception for someone you could make that argument for Moses.

However, that is not the case.  Moses was not shown any special favoritism by God.  If you recall in Numbers 20:12 God told Moses he would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land for his sin of disbelief.  Moses sinned against God by striking the rock when God specifically told him to speak to the rock.  In Numbers 14:21-25, God had made it clear that anyone who disobeyed him while in the wilderness would not be allowed to enter into the Promised Land. 

Moses messed up.  He sinned.  God did not bend the rules to let his friend, Moses, into the Promised Land.  God was serious with Moses and meant what he said.  God did not waver, go back on his word, bend the rules, or make an exception for Moses.  Moses was not allowed to enter or to lead the Children of Israel into the Promised Land.

If God would not even tolerate Moses’ one mistake in the wilderness, what makes us think that we are any better than Moses?  What makes us think that God will let our “little” sins slide by unnoticed or that he will make an exception for us?

So what does this mean for us?  It means that when God says to do or not to do something he is serious.  It means that when he says that he is preparing a place in Heaven for those who are faithful and obedient to his Word he is serious.  It means that when he says that he will cast into a lake of fire those who are unfaithful and disobedient he is serious. 

Our God is not a tolerant God.  He will not tolerate sin.  He loves us like he loved Moses, but like Moses he hates our sin and disbelief.  He will not tolerate it.  We should never be so bold to think that we can sin and God will tolerate it.  We must take God seriously.

It’s about who you know.

The more and more I have been looking for a job the more and more I hear this phrase.  I’ve always believed it to be true, and now I am experiencing it in a very real way.  Knowing the right people definitely opens doors and opportunities into areas of the job market that would otherwise be inaccessible by ordinary measures.  Having the recommendation of the right person with the right influence in the right network of professionals is a huge asset in a tough job environment.  Knowing the right person at the right time is what is going to help you get the interview for the job or even the job itself more so than your own merit and ability.

This phrase and my experience looking for a job has been teaching me a valuable lesson in discipleship and God’s grace.  As a follower of Christ it is all about who you know.  If you know Christ he is going to be your mediator, your connection to God.  He is going to be the man who makes you acceptable in the presence of the Lord.  The key is, you have to know him.  You cannot simply know of him or a little bit about him, you must personally know him.  

For instance, if I was looking for a job at a bank it wouldn’t help me one bit if I said that I only knew of the bank president.  Many could claim to know someone of that importance.  However, if I say that I personally know the bank president and he knows me that would mean something.   Furthermore, if he is the one making the recommendation on my behalf for the job at the bank his reference will be much more influential.  

The awesome thing about Christ is that he already knows us and loves us.  He wants more than anything to connect us with his Father.  His only stipulation is that we get to know him and follow him.  

If you want salvation, if you want to go to heaven to be with God, it is truly all about who you know.

A Perfect Example in a Not So Perfect Game

In the 135 year history of Major League Baseball prior to the 2010 season there have been 18 perfect games.  So far this year there have already been two, by Oakland A’s pitcher Dallas Braden and Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay.  The odds of even one perfect game ever occurring are incredible on their own.  The odds of multiple perfect games are even more so and the odds of two occurring in one season are astronomical, nearly impossible it would seem.  What’s even more amazing is that there would have been three perfect games, not only in a single season, but within a 24 day span.  There would have been three if not for a blown call with 2 outs in the top of the ninth inning on a June 2 game between the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers.  The pitcher whose perfect game was ruined was Armando Galarraga and the umpire who missed the call was veteran umpire Jim Joyce.

Any blown call in professional sports is a big deal.  But it is bound to happen.  Umpires and referees are human, therefore the human element is always a factor, and from time to time the officials get it wrong.  99 percent of the time they get it right.  I’m not sure of the actual statistics or numbers, but by my rough estimations in an official nine innings MLB game the umpires would have to make a minimum of 55 calls.  That is if the home team wins the game by a run, and aside from that one run each pitcher faces the minimum number of batters and only needing one pitch to record each out.  That would mean that the home pitcher only threw 27 pitches and the visiting pitcher only threw 28 pitches, 1 pitch being a home run.  That would be 55 situations the umpires would have to determine whether or not the batter was safe or out when the ball was put into play assuming nothing else occurs.  As far as I know, this has never happened, which means umpires have always made more than 55 calls per game.

If I had to guess I would say that in an average game an umpiring crew will make a minimum of about 300 calls per game.  That estimation is only based off average numbers for ball and strike calls and the out or safe base running calls they will have to make.  Even then I think this is probably an extremely low estimate.  And also from what I’ve heard umpires will rarely miss more than 10 calls a game, and most of those occur behind the plate and usually prove to be insignificant.

My point in saying all this is that for all the thousands of calls Jim Joyce has made correctly in his 20 plus years as an MLB umpire, he will only be remembered for one missed call.

What’s even more amazing about this story is not the fact that this unfortunate call spoiled a perfect game; it is the way in which the two main people involved, Galarraga and Joyce, responded to the situation.

The first thing that impressed me was Galarraga’s immediate response to the call.  We’ve seen players and coaches on less significant calls throw temper tantrums, toss hats, gloves, spit, kick dirt, launch rosin bag grenades, tear up bases, and kick dirt on the umpires only to be ejected from the game.  Galarraga did nothing of the sort.  He did not argue or lose his temper.  He didn’t get in Joyce’s face and yell at him or complain.  He simply looked flabbergasted and when the dust settled from everyone else’s reaction, he got back on the mound, did his job, and retired the 28^th and last batter in five pitches and won his team the game, for a total pitch count of 88.  After the game all he said basically about the call was that we are all human and we all make mistakes.

Joyce’s reaction to the situation is also admirable.  After the game when he saw the replay he immediately recognized his mistake and admitted he blew the call and took full blame for costing Galarraga a perfect game.  He admitted his mistake and apologized immediately for it.  It seems like this is such a rarity, especially in the world of sports.  Just as rare as this heart-felt apology was Galarraga’s willingness to forgive.  Galarraga was just as quick to forgive Joyce for the missed call as Joyce was to apologize for it.

Joyce was the home plate umpire in the next game of the series for the Tigers and Indians the day after.  As the umpiring crew first stepped onto the field before the game tears were streaming down Joyce’s face into his handlebar mustache.  Galarraga brought the line up card to home plate for the Tigers before the game.  This proved to be a very public and powerful sign of forgiveness.  Joyce was clearly humbled as he accepted that day’s line up card and Galarraga had a face of compassion and understanding.

Jim Joyce and Armando Galarraga’s lives will be forever changed by this moment.  Maybe for Joyce it will be difficult, hopefully it won’t.  If Joyce had made the right call, and Galarraga had recorded the 21^st perfect game in the history of the game, and the third of the 2010 season he would have been enshrined in a special club of Major League pitchers.  But what he did in response to being denied an official entrance into this elite club transcends the game.  Galarraga’s almost-perfect game will be remembered in higher esteem because Galarraga proved himself in this moment not just to be a great pitcher, but a great man of character.  This is a moment coaches, parents, and mentors will point back to over and over again to teach this generation and the next that success on the field, in school, or in your profession is nothing compared to success as a person of character.

Joyce and Galarraga’s example of apology and forgiveness will not be soon forgotten.  I believe that this mistake will be transcended by the lessons that it will teach us.  I believe that in the end it will prove to be more meaningful to the game of baseball and to our culture than any perfect game could have ever hoped to do.

John Wooden’s Legacy

With the recent passing of John Wooden a lot has been said about his legacy as a basketball coach and even more so about his legacy as a great teacher and mentor to many on and off the court.  As the UCLA Bruins mens basketball coach he coached them to four undefeated seasons, 12 Final Fours, and 10 National Championships.  He is recognized by many as the greatest coach of all time, and his coaching abilities were not limited to basketball alone, but to life as well.  As I have listened to people talk about Coach Wooden on TV they all say the same thing: that Coach Wooden made those around him better people and many times great.  This was his greatest legacy, and so it should be ours as well.  In everything we do let us do it in order to make those around us great.

Who does Satan see?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cz7u8RPYKo

If you would like watch this clip from the movie Troy.  Just a warning it is graphic and violent, but I assure you it serves a purpose.

In this clip we see the onset of a battle between the Greeks and the Trojans.  All of a sudden there is an eruption of excitement from the Greek side as Achilles rushes on the scene to participate in the fight.  We know this because of his distinct armor; his helmet, breastplate, sword and shield.  The battle begins and it doesn’t take long for the leader of the Trojans, Hector, to meet in the center of the battlefield with Achilles, and what should be an epic duel ensues.  However what should be a epic fight between two heavyweight warriors ends quickly as Hector slays Achilles winning the duel.  As Achilles’ body lies slain on the ground Hector bends over Achilles’ body to take off his helmet to reveal the face of his opponent.  Only when Achilles’ helmet is removed we learn that the one wearing Achilles’ helmet is not Achilles.  It turns out to be the Achilles’ young cousin Patroclus.  Patroclus, tired of being left out of the fight suited up in Achilles’ armor and entered battle in his place only to his demise.  

The lesson from this that I want us to focus on has nothing to do with the outcome of this duel between Hector and Patroclus, but with the armor of Achilles.  Before the helmet was removed everyone believed that the man in the armor of Achilles was Achilles himself.  Achilles’ armor was a symbol of the man and the warrior that wore that helmet and carried that sword and shield.  It was a symbol of power and strength as well as strategic expertise on the battlefield.  It gave hope, courage, and strength to those who fought on side of that armor and put fear in to those who opposed it.  

The same can be said of the Armor of God that we read about in Ephesians 6.  When you and I put on the Armor of God Satan no longer sees you and me, he sees God.  The armor of God is a symbol of the one who owns it.  This armor is a symbol of the strength and power of God.  Something we must remember about wearing God’s armor though, we cannot take it off, or use it incorrectly or else we will become vulnerable and exposed to our enemy.  The only way we can allow Satan to penetrate our armor is if we allow him to.  As long as we stay faithful and strong God’s Armor will never fail us. 

So the question is, when Satan looks at you who does he see?  Does he look at you and see you alone, or does he look at you and see the armor of an awesome and powerful God?

The Greatest Story

Recently I finished reading Don Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.  In it he talks about the elements that make a good story and how to use these same principles and apply them to our real lives to live good stories.  In order to have a good story character transformation is essential.  If you think about most books or movies it is usually the protagonist of the story that experiences this character transformation, and it is this process of change that drives the story.  The protagonist will usually change from evil to good, weak to strong, fearful to courageous, etc.  But the common thread is that something about his character, his nature changes, whether it is for better or worse. 

I have been thinking about this element of story in terms of the Bible.  The Bible tells the greatest stories ever known.  It holds true that in a majority of the great stories of the Bible there is character transformation of the protagonist.  Think of Moses, David, Peter, and Paul.  All of them are great Bible characters who experienced great character transformations to become the men of God that we now look up to. 

The story of Christ however is a much different story of transformation.  In his story Christ is not the one who experiences the character transformation.  His story is quite the opposite and it is what makes his story the greatest ever told.  In his story Christ transforms everyone else around him in some way while himself remaining constant.  Christ was perfect and needed no change, and because of his perfection he changed the world, and therefore lived the greatest story ever known.

Miller also discusses the qualities of people who live great stories.  Primarily he says that people who live great stories include others in their story.  They are people who share their lives with others in order to help other people live great stories as well.  This is another reason Christ’s story is so incredible.  His story involves and affects everyone who has lived, is living, and will ever live.  It is my hope and prayer to start living a better story.

Politics depress me.  I can’t watch CNN, Fox News, or any other political news show for long before I get frustrated at how messed up things are.  It all seems so complicated and confusing.  I know many people are the same as me when it comes to politics.  I think the common question most of us have is how do we fix it?  How do we fix all the terrible things that are happening around us everyday?  I think we start by turning off the TV.  I think we start by looking at what is wrong with ourselves and not at the world as a whole.  Jesus said it best in Luke 6:42, “How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye?”  It has been said many times, but it is true, we can’t change the world without changing ourselves first.

As a child of God I constantly remind myself that my citizenship is not of this world, but in heaven.  I don’t worry about what is happening in the White House or on Capitol Hill.  I don’t worry about what is happening in the economy here in the U.S. and around the world.  It doesn’t matter.  What does matter is living with God.  If God goes with me then I won’t be able to stop myself from making the world a better place.

Forgiveness

Last night at church the topic of forgiveness came up. It caused a lot of debate. The main question that was the center of discussion was can I forgive someone if they do not ask for forgiveness? It seems like an easy question, but after listening to the discussion I am not sure I could confidently give an answer. I am thankful for that discussion because it has challenged me to study so that I can be ready to give an answer.

Colossians 3:13 says, “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”

We are to forgive each other as God has forgiven us.  So in my short study of forgiveness I want to consider a few questions and let the Bible answer.

-        What is forgiveness?

-        What is the purpose of forgiveness?

-        When does forgiveness take place?

In addition to answering these questions I also want to consider a few comments that were raised in our discussion.

What is forgiveness?

Simply defined forgiveness is the act of pardoning or remitting an offense. In the biblical sense it is the pardoning of sin. Hebrews 10:17,18 shows us that when God forgives us of our sins he remembers them no more. I John 1:9 says that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

What is the purpose of forgiveness?

Isaiah 59:1,2 says “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”

By understanding that in the Bible forgiveness is the pardoning of sin helps us to understand that the purpose of forgiveness is to restore a relationship ruined by sin. A relationship involves two parties.  Sin is something that separates the two parties. When sin becomes present in a relationship in order for the relationship to be restored the sin must be removed. Some things must happen in order for forgiveness to happen and the sin to be removed. First, the sin must be recognized. Second, the guilty party must repent of the sin. Finally, innocent party must forgive the guilty party of the sin. After all of this happens correctly the relationship is restored as if the sin was never present to begin with.

We see this pattern in the Luke 17:3 as well as Matthew 18:15:

Luke 17:3 “Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.”

Matthew 18:15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”

In both of these passages the sin is recognized, the guilty party must repent of the sin, and the innocent party must forgive the sin.

When does forgiveness take place?

Consider the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32. When did forgiveness take place in that story? Since the purpose of forgiveness is to restore a relationship marred by sin, when was the relationship between the father and son restored? The relationship was restored in Luke 15:22-24 when the father says, “Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.  For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”

We can know this because we can see all the conditions of forgiveness being met in this passage. Those conditions are the recognition of sin, the repentance of sin, and finally the forgiveness of sin. In Luke 15:17 the sin is recognized and in verse 18 marks the beginning of the son’s repentance. The son while eating the slop with the pigs realizes he has sinned and turns from it by resolving to return to his father and become a servant in his house. When the son returns home he voices his repentance to his father in verse 21, and we know that the father has forgiven him by what he does in verses 22-24.

I believe that it is safe to say that the father always had a forgiving spirit. I believe we can know this because he runs to greet his son when he sees him from a far off having compassion on him. Although the willingness to forgive was already present actual forgiveness, however, was not able to take place until the son repented of his sin to his father.

In our discussion at church a couple questions and comments were raised that I would like to look at as well.

1. What about Jesus on the cross?  He forgave those who crucified him and they did not repent.

First off, where do we read that Christ forgave them?  If we look in Luke 23:34 it reads, “And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’” Christ did not forgive them, he asked God to forgive them. By this we can understand that two things: Christ was willing to forgive those who persecuted him, and that Christ understood that because his persecutors were not yet willing to repent and ask him for forgiveness it was not his place to forgive them.

Another similar example would be Stephen in Acts 7. It is often said that Stephen forgave those who killed him before he died. Let us look at what the Bible actually says though. Acts 7:59,60 says, “And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” Again, like Christ on the cross, Stephen asks God to forgive the sin of those who are stoning him. Stephen, like Christ, understood that because his murderers were not willing to repent and ask for his forgiveness it was not possible for him to forgive them although it is clear to see that had the willingness of heart to forgive them.

2.  What about the thief on the cross?  How could Christ forgive him if he couldn’t forgive those who persecuted him, then what about the thief?

To answer this question let’s look at Luke 23:39-43:

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

In reading this passage it is easy to see that Christ was able to forgive the thief on the cross because the conditions warranting forgiveness to take place were met. The thief understood that he was a sinner, was sorry for his sin, and realized that he was deserving of his punishment. This is repentance. Because the thief on the cross was penitent and because Christ had the willingness and a spirit to forgive, Christ was able to forgive the thief, thus restoring the relationship between Christ and the thief.

Conclusion:

Forgiveness is the pardoning of sin for the purpose of restoring a relationship ruined by sin. Forgiveness cannot take place until both parties involved fulfilled the conditions warranting forgiveness, and thus restoring their relationship.

So, can I forgive someone if they do not ask for forgiveness? No, you cannot forgive someone who doesn’t ask. First off, even if they did ask you couldn’t forgive them unless they repented of their sin. Simply asking for forgiveness means nothing without repentance. God will not forgive us our sins if we ask and do not repent.

I believe that as Christians we need to be careful how we understand and use the term forgiveness. My desire to forgive and my ability to forgive are two different things. God has a desire to forgive everyone of every sin, but that does not mean all will be forgiven. II Peter 3:9 says that God is “not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” But we also because of Matthew 7:21 know that not every one will be saved.

We need to understand forgiveness like Christ understood forgiveness. We must be like Christ and Stephen and pray to God on behalf of others if they are unwilling to repent. Even though we may not be able to forgive those who sin against, not because of our unwillingness to forgive, but their unwillingness to be forgiven, we should pray that one day they may repent and be forgiven by God. We know that Christ’s prayer on the cross for those who crucified him was answered. In Acts 2 when some of those who crucified him heard the Gospel preached they were pricked in their heart and they did repent of their sin and were forgiven by God.

As children of God we are required to be like Christ and always have a willingness to forgive, we should not wish that any should perish. When those who sin against us repent of their sin and ask us for their forgiveness we should forgive them.  We should be like the father in the story of the prodigal son and forgive them and rejoice that our relationship with them is restored. But if those who have sinned against us are unwilling to repent and reconcile their relationship with us we should pray to God that he will be able to forgive them.

There is certainly a lot more that could be said on this subject. I hope that what I have written here will maybe help those who read it and encourage further study on such an important topic. One thing I know for sure is I need to pray to God for help to understand forgiveness better and to learn how to better forgive others as he has forgiven me.

Let Him Lead

I recently saw the movie Invictus.  It portrays the story of Nelson Mandela becoming the President of South Africa and his plan to unite the country by inspiring their National Rugby team to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.  This story of Mandela is probably one of the most inspiring examples of leadership I have ever seen portrayed in a movie.

One scene in particular stood out in my mind.  It is the scene where Nelson Mandela goes to intervene on a decision being made to change the name and colors of the South African Rugby team. The Springboks is the name of the national rugby team long and its identity has long been associated with apartheid-supporting Afrikaners. This name is despised by the black South Africans and they want to change the name of the team to something more representative of black South Africans. The black-majority group making the decision votes unanimously for this change.

However, Mandela is against this decision in fear that changing the name and identity of the team will cause more division within the country among the white and black communities. Mandela sees this as an opportunity for the black-majority to extend an arm of peace across to the white community by keeping the name and colors the same to appeal to whites. Mandela gives a speech explaining his reasoning for keeping the name to of the team the same. In it he makes a single great statement that stuck with me. He tells them, “Let me lead.” He says that they have elected him to be their leader; however when it comes time for him make a decision and to lead the people they resist. He pleads for them to allow him to do exactly what they have elected him to do and to let him lead them.

Mandela’s words remind me of a statement I recently heard in a devotional where the speaker said that often times as Christians we want a savior, but not a king. We gladly accept Christ’s saving grace, but when it comes time to be led by him we often times are unwilling to follow.

The name Christian literally means follower of Christ. And as followers of Christ we need to let Him lead.