Hypocrites Anonymous

I once received a bitter salvo from an anti-Christian.  "You Christians are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites," he spat (one, he actually did spit when he talked, but two, I like the word "spat").  Ever had that accusation thrown at you?


"You're no better than the rest of us!"

"You have this high 'moral code' and don't like when anyone violates it, but you violate it yourselves!"

"You're hypocrites!"

My answer to all three of these accusations is always the same:  yes.  The meaning of the word hypocrite is two-faced.  To believe one thing and do another is a two-faced thing to do.  We know it's wrong to worship anything other than God, but we do it anyway.  We seek out money in the hopes that it will bring us joy and security, even though we know that God alone "fills [our] heart[s] with greater joy than when . . . grain and new wine abound" and that we "lie down and sleep in peace for You alone, O Lord, make [us] dwell in safety" (Psalm 4: 7-8).  We worship food and sex.

We know it's wrong to lie, but we lie:  "Hi!  How are you?"  "Fine, thanks!  Everything's wonderful!  God's really blessed me!"  (okay, so God has blessed us, but how often do we say it without believing it?).

We know it's wrong to steal, but we pirate movies and music.

We know it's wrong to be hypocritical, but we are anyway.

In fact, we do have a "moral code" (we just call it God's Word), and we often fail to live up to it.  We are, in fact, no better than anyone else.  But here's the deal Mr. Anti-Christian:  that doesn't let you off the hook.

You see, God doesn't look at you and judge you by the way I live.  God looks at you and judges you for your life, He looks at my neighbor and judges him for his life, and He looks at me and judges me for my life.  In Ezekiel 18, God makes it abundantly clear that our choices - that is, whether we submit to Christ in humility and discipleship, or continue on in our sin, unrepentant - determine our eternity.  Our eternity is not determined by our comparison to others.  God does not look at me and then look at the atrocities of World War II and say, "We'll, he didn't take part in that, so I guess I'll let him in!"

Revelation paints an interesting picture of what the Judgment will look like.  Check it out:

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it.  Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.  And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.  Another book was opened, which is the book of life.  The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.  The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.  Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  The lake of fire is the second death.  If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire (20:11-15, NIV).

Two of the five verses state that we will all be judged according to what we have done.  So know this, if I am a jerk, or a hypocrite, or any number of other things, it's going to come up when I stand before God.  My sins will be read, out loud, before the Creator of the universe.  So will yours, my friend.

All of them.

But, thank God, the judgment doesn't end there.  Notice the end of that passage:  If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.  This tells me two things.  The first is that no one goes through the first judgment with an acquittal.  "If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life. . . ."  The fact that they have to move on to the second book tells me that everyone is found guilty in the first book.  Our deeds come up wanting.

The second thing that this tells me is that salvation is dependent on my deeds, but only if I deny the grace of Christ.  Why do I say this?  Because if my name is not found written in the book of life, the first judgment stands:  guilty.  If your name, Mr. Atheist, is not found in the book of life (and how could it, if you don't even believe in the Author of the book?), your deeds will determine your judgment:  guilty.  And then there's grace.       

Grace is why Christ's death is so important.  It demonstrates His love for us - a love that is so great that He is willing to serve your guilty sentence on your behalf.  But more than that, He takes His innocence and puts it on you.  So when the charges are read, Christ is there to say, "That's already been served.  Check the record and see for yourself."  And so there, in the book of life, is a name.  A name that could be yours.

So while yes, I am often a hypocrite, and yes, that is unacceptable, know two things:  first, I'm in a program to help me with that - it's called discipleship.  Sometimes (often times) I fall off the wagon, but I still keep on keeping on.  Second, know that your deeds are your sentence, but God, Who desires that no one would ever go to Hell, has died and taken those deeds upon Himself.  All you have to do is believe that.

Get your name written in the book of life.      

It's the End of the World As We Know It

The more I read the Scriptures, the more convinced I am that things are going to get out of hand very, very rapidly.  And since I'm not sure if we'll still be around to explain to everyone what's going on, I figure I'd do a quick series on "The End Times."  Look, things in the Scriptures are a little vague at times, so I'm going to be straight up honest and tell you that a lot of what I'm going to say is debatable.

As just a few examples:

Timing of the Rapture - Debatable
Timing of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb - Debatable
Who Attacks Israel - Debatable
When Whoever it Is that Attacks Israel Actually Attacks Israel - Debatable
The Meaning of the Beast - Debatable
The Meaning of the White Horseman of the Apocalypse - Debatable
Daniel's Timeline - Debatable

Meaning of the Seals/Trumpets/Bowls - Debatable
Meaning of Revelation 2-3 - Debatable

There are other aspects, too, but that's the gist of it.   Now, I'll give you my opinion on the subjects, but I'll also introduce opposing viewpoints, just so you can decide for yourselves.  But remember, with this, as with any other topic in the Bible, the point of it is always God.  It is always His mercy, His majesty, His grace, His power, His wrath, and - the culmination of it all - His love.  I don't want us to get too caught up in the details of eschatology, and miss out on the most important part:  God loves us, even though we don't deserve it.

The purpose of this series, then, is not to philosophize about whether or not Obama is the Antichrist, but to lead people to the real Christ, whether I'm still around when they stumble upon this blog, or not.  And if you disagree with some of my views (or others'), feel free to say so in the comments.  Just keep it polite, please.

The first post will be up soon!

Update 09/21/15
The first post is up now!

 

Book Review

Author and speaker Tim Chaffey wrote a very generous review of Giants!  You can read it here.

War on Women, Part 2

A few weeks back, I wrote a post trying to explain what, exactly, Christians and anti-abortionists are saying when we say we're against abortion.  I'm afraid, though, that there was one thing I didn't explain:  that most of us don't hate women who have had abortions.  While I readily admit that some do, the vast majority don't.  Unfortunately, we're not very good at conveying that in the heat of the moment, when we're defending the right of an unborn child to live.

It's funny, but as I was mulling this idea over, I received a private message from a friend containing this cartoon:








Since it spoke directly to what was on my mind, I figured it was an important topic to bring up at this point.  The fact is, for most women who receive abortions, I put very little blame, because I don't believe they truly know what they are doing.  They have been lied to so many times by so many people that they truly do not believe that they are taking/have taken a human life.  I place the blame, therefore, squarely on the shoulders of those responsible for misinforming men and women.  And those people will answer to God.

But for those women who, knowing what they are doing, and do it anyway, I still do not hate them.  Nor do I want to come across as condemning those who made a tough - and ultimately, wrong - choice.  The simple truth is that all of us choose wrong on many occasions, and abortion is no different.  Yes, it is murder, and yes it is wrong, but lying is wrong, worshiping false gods is wrong, and being self-righteous is wrong.

The good news is that Jesus' Grace covers all.  So, please hear me, if you are a woman who has had an abortion, understand that I am in no way trying to devalue you.  I do not look down on you.  I do not hate you.  Your sins - no matter what they are, have been, or will be - can be bought and paid for by Jesus.  Remember the only rule of grace that we ever need:

God loves you, even though you don't deserve it.

Embrace that, realize that, and mold your life as a response to it.

Giants: Legends and Lore of Goliaths

I just wanted to say thank you for all the support!  Amazon is having trouble keeping Giants in stock, and that's just awesome!  Get the word out, and use it to lead people back to the Scriptures!

Mawu the Righteous Judge

In the days past, Mawu sent his messenger each day to travel the earth.  The messenger traveled from the far east to the far west every day for many years.

One evening, the messenger came across the town of Adjala, where the sun had already set.  Because it was night, he stopped his errands and went to a house.  A man, who had been traveling on the road, also happened to stop at this same house on this same night. 

The messenger asked the man, "Where are you headed?"

He replied, "I am heading to where the sun sets."

Mawu's messenger responded, "Then perhaps we are to be companions, for I, too, am headed to that place."

In the house next door, as the day dawned, two parents were crying over their sick child.

Mawu's messenger asked them, "Why have you not slept?"

They replied, "Our child is very sick, and we were worried."

The messenger carried with him a sack, in which he carried some powder.  He gave some of this powder to the father, who gave it to the child.  The messenger went back to the house in which he spent the night and woke up his new companion, telling him that they were to leave immediately.

As they left, the people of the town followed them, shouting, "Where is the stranger?  Where is the stranger?"  The child had died, you see.

But the messenger and his companion escaped, and came to the town of Savalou, where they spent the night.  In the morning, Mawu's messenger set fire to the house, and he and his companion left.  The people followed them, asking "Where is the stranger?"  But the two men had escaped.

The companion was astonished, but did not know who the messenger was.  So the two continued on their journey, and reached Badahwedji, near where the sun sets.

The two travelers stood on the banks of the river, which separated them from the town.  An old man was there, gathering leaves by the bank, and ferrying them across to the other side.  Mawu's messenger followed the man to the bank, and pushed him into the water.  The messenger's companion ran away when he saw this, but the messenger called to him, "Please, you are going the wrong way!  This is the way we must go."

The man answered, "What I have seen is too much.  I am leaving you."

The messenger said, "You do not know who I am.  I am not a man, but a messenger of Mawu.  Mawu sent me to kill the child, for if she had lived, the parents would have become poor and died.  The family whose house I burned has wealthy relatives who have hidden all of their money, and allowed that family to become poor.  The poor family will discover all of that money when they dig to rebuild the walls.  I pushed the old man into the river because the king of Badahwedji has died, and a young man should replace him.  If the old man lives, he would have replaced the king, and a young man should be king instead.  With a young king, they will have goats, pigs, and children."

Then he said, "I can see into the depths of men, and Mawu sent me here to look at such.  Do not be afraid, for if I do not do this, I will become a headache and kill men.  Or I will become a serpent and burn houses down.  If, in your life, you see these things happen, you will know that it is Mawu who does these."

-From the Dahomey tribe of Africa



I think there is a great deal that we can learn from this story.  It seems to me, as an example, that we often blame God for bad things, making us just as near-sighted as the man in the story.  You see, we honestly have no idea how God will work things out - even the tragic and bad things.  One of the most important things we can remember when going through difficult times is that God is always in control, even when it doesn't feel like it, and that it is often for our good that difficult things transpire.


That's why I love Psalm 4 so much.  David is absolutely out of his mind with anger and grief, so much so that he begins the Psalm with a command to God:  "Answer me, when I call to You!"  David's life has gotten so tumultuous, that he feels it necessary to give orders to God.  What's awesome, though, is that in this situation, David discovers that peace and joy come, not from our circumstances, but from God and God alone.  Tell you what, do yourselves a favor and read Psalm 4 today and, if you're able, read it again tomorrow.  And the next day.  And the next.  In fact, spend the next week reading this psalm every day, and see if it doesn't change your perspective on the "bad" events in your life. 

Eulogy for Brennan

Editor's Note:  This post was originally published on April 19, 2013




The last week has been a deeply emotional one as we here in the states have dealt with the bombing in Boston, Massachusetts, and the Christian world has dealt with the passing of one of its greatest champions of grace, as well as the suicide of Rick Warren's son.  I've been saddened this week as I've thought about the lives lost, but also had great moments of joy as I've contemplated heaven's gain.  So while I could talk about Boston, or Matthew Warren, I won't.  This is not to say that these things are unimportant, or that we shouldn't pray for the Warren family or the people affected by the attack in Boston, I'm just choosing to focus instead on the one sad event that is also bringing me great joy.

I grew up in a culture where "Christian" was defined by what you did and did not do, what you said and did not say, what you watched and did not watch, and whether or not you prayed "The Sinner's Prayer."  It was okay to go roller skating, but it was not okay to skateboard.  It was okay to say "darn!" but it was not okay to say "damn!"  It was okay to watch Scooby-Doo, but it was not okay to watch The Smurfs (for those of you too young to remember, those were cartoons thirty years before they were movies!).  Christians didn't swear, didn't go to R-rated movies, didn't like violence, sex, or language on television . . . and didn't approve of anyone who did. 

Behave, because God can't use you if you don't.  Go to church every Sunday, because that's your special time with God.  Tithe, or God will take away all of your money.  And you had to say the words, "Jesus, come into my heart," or nothing you did counted (but, of course, you had to do it all anyway, whether it counted or not, or He would get mad). 

When I was thirteen, I found one of my grandfather's Playboy magazines.  As I flipped through the pages, I was both afraid and excited.  I was afraid of getting caught, I was afraid of making God mad, but I was excited because I like beautiful women, and this particularly beautiful woman was naked, which made it that much easier to set aside my fears and guilt.

But only for a moment.

You see, as I spent the next decade or so battling my lusts and, at times, descending into the nightmare of pornography addiction, a picture of God emerged in my mind:  He loved me, but He didn't much like me.  And so I waited for Him to punish me.  I waited for His wrath.  I wondered if everything bad in my life was a warning - or a judgment.  God became a taskmaster Who would never, ever be happy with me, because I had sinned.  Every time I sinned - no matter what the sin was - this self-abusing tape replayed over and over in my mind. 

And then Brennan came along and made one of the most profound spiritual impacts on my life that has ever happened:  he introduced me to Jesus.  The real Jesus.  The Jesus found in the Scriptures.  God in human flesh.

Brennan told the following story often, but it bears repeating here:

He woke up one morning in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida still drunk from the night before.  He was covered with vomit, shoeless, and completely dazed.  A woman, he says, shields her son's eyes and calls him "filth."  As he finishes telling the story, he pauses, and when he speaks again, his voice thunders, "Jesus loved me just as much then, in a state of disgrace, as He does today, in a state of grace!"   He reminds us later that Jesus knew us before we were born, He knew our mistakes, our sins and our hang-ups, and yet He loved us enough to die for us.  Brennan reminds us that Jesus expects more failure from us than we often expect from ourselves.  He knows what's coming, and He died for it.

The next day, after contemplating Brennan's words, I turned to Paul's letter to the Romans, where he writes, "God demonstrated His love for us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us."  The words hit my spirit like a thunderbolt, and I wept.  I wept out of grief for my sin (all of it - my entire nature of sin), grief for His death, and sheer and utter amazement that those two would ever be connected.  I deserved God's wrath, but He gave me love.  I deserved rejection, but he offered acceptance.  From that moment on, Christianity became less about what I do for God, and more about what He did for me.  Which is the point.

I owe Brennan my salvation.  He didn't say pretty words or amazing things - no, that's not what happened.  He said amazing things that forced me to go to the Scriptures and re-evaluate everything I had believed.  Sin is still sin.  That's why He died.  God's Commandments are still God's Commandments.  That's why He died.  But God loved me and died for me even before I had a chance to clean up my act, and He loved me and died for me in spite of the fact that I will never clean up my act.

Though we never had a chance to meet, I'm going to miss Brennan very much.  I'm going to miss his insights into the Scriptures, his humor, and his raw openness.  I rejoice, though, in knowing that his broken soul has been healed.  His struggle with alcoholism is done, his health is restored, and his doubts and fears are now irrevocably dispelled.   

I rejoice in knowing that he has at last seen face-to-face the Jesus Whom he so adored.  The very same Jesus Who "loves you just as you are and not as you should be, because no one is ever as they should be."  In truth, I'm a bit jealous.

So, Brennan, thank you.  Thank you for sharing your life with so many of us.  Thank you for sharing your struggles and doubts, as well as the insights and moments of clarity. 

Thank you for sharing God's grace.  We'll miss you, but we'll see you again.

Tout est Grace