Followers

Saturday, March 29, 2008

In a world of hate...

When Christ Jesus walked this world in human form, much of the known world hated him. As I look at the fallen world whence I came so recently, I weep as I see raw unbridled hatred to a degree that, plainly, discourages me in a profound way. In this issue, we'll explore the concept of hate from my perspective.

As a new Christ Follower, fresh from the World, I have begun to feel the pain of the World's people so keenly that it follows me everywhere. I feel the onset of tears at what the World considers very inappropriate times. At church. At work. While driving. Sometimes it is so overwhelming that I fear I'll be consumed by it and be driven, presumably merrily, stark raving mad. So let's walk together and try to put a face to this pain. Why do those who follow the Way of Jesus bear it so soberly and yet so joyously? Why does the World hate Christians so? What is it that drives the heart of the heartbroken spirit? Oh, I had hoped to write a brief entry this time, but nope, you've got me going now...Let's get to it.

First, let us define hatred. According to Wikipedia: Hatred is an emotion of intense revulsion, distaste, or antipathy for a person, thing, or phenomenon, generally attributed to a desire to avoid, restrict, remove, or destroy the hated object. Pretty harsh words, even for a definition. Obviously, living in this fallen world means accepting varying degrees of hatred from a myriad of sources. The media, our peers, our leaders and even our family; it's hard not to see some kind of hate wherever we look. So let's get it out of the way, we must even accept hate from God.

Oh, I can feel the looks of disbelief and astonishment from the non-Christians from here... Oh, and look, even a few Christians sitting there at their screens, mouths agape, as if to say, "Did he just say that for real?" Well, he certainly did. So let me explain what I mean. A good friend of mine pointed out to me that God, as Lord of all, must of necessity have hate, since a) he created all of our emotions, and b) without hate, love is cheap. Think about it. What's the point of showing love if there's nothing in contrast to make us appreciate love to its fullest? Generally, aside from the desire to obey God, we show love others to illicit reciprocated love, don't we? And not just in the face of hate, but any negative emotion. A world without love must certainly be full to busting with hate, and fear, and sorrow. This is a description of hell, people. "The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 13:49-50).

So what is it that God hates? The answer, for those who don't know, is sin. A plain, simple, three-letter word that came into the world as soon as Adam took a bite of that nasty old apple. Sin, and all the problems, disease, hatred, fear, toil and sorrow that must accompany it. But contrary to the statements of those people who lament their difficult lives and say he hates them, God does not hate any human being, not even one. We are all God's children and he wants us to come to him. He wants us to be a part of his eternal kingdom. Yes, even those who refuse to know him. Even those who rape, murder, lie, steal and covet their neighbour's wife. Wrap your head around that one for a minute. The time will come when those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour will share heaven with rapists, murderers and molesters of children? Yes. Believe it. The Bible is quite clear in John 6:40, where Jesus says, "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day." In other words, even the vilest of criminals can be redeemed. Even the basest of evil persons can make it to heaven. While our jaded earthly minds don't like to conceive of such a thing, the fact remains that all who confess that Jesus was the Son of God, that he died on the cross to cleanse us of our sins, and that he rose again on the third day will be saved from death and have everlasting life in heaven. And if that's what God wants, that's what God gets. Period.

The sobriety of this realization and the acceptance thereof is matched only by the joy that accompanies it. And accepting it isn't easy, believe me. In a world where corrupt people take full advantage of those weaker, less fortunate, less intelligent and less corrupt than themselves, how can truly good people be happy that the corrupt will share the rewards of heaven? I like to think that if the truly evil can repent of their ways and find their way to the truth who is Christ, then my reward is 100% guaranteed. There. Instant joy. Woo hoo!

So, then, how can it be that those who live out their faith in Jesus in love and peace be the objects of such unhindered hatred from the secular masses. No, not always violent, aggressive hate. But a sneer, an insult or a seething anti-Christian editorial qualifies nonetheless. Let me postulate, then, on why we are hated so. For some, hatred of all things Christian has been instilled in them from childhood. They know no other way. Others had a horrible experience with Christianity such as having been molested by a clergy member, or bilked out of a fortune by a crooked TV evangelist, or worse even taught to hate by a lost, wayward congregation preaching its own perverted "gospel." Too many denominations, philosophies and interpretations of Jesus' words of brotherly love have turned to rotten, festering evil in order to gain power and influence and money. Of course the followers of these ways are thoroughly convinced they are seeking the truth, or have found it. And these impostors, like the true followers of the red-letter text of the Holy Scriptures, get out there in the world and preach their filthy theology until they're blue in the face. And they win souls for Satan. Yes, the devil himself has his legions out there sowing hate left and right, encouraging sin all over. And so the world pours its hate upon all of Christianity for the sins of the false prophets and teachers.

When faced with this kind of publicity, the instinct of even the stout of heart is to hide. And many followers of the true Jesus do that very thing. They worship in private and try to get through life in relative safety without ruffling too many feathers. Some fight back, and get drawn into useless arguments that leave both arguers seething and self-righteous. Therefore the impression the world gets is that Christians are either flimsy, weak and pathetic, or militant, loud and obnoxious people who would stick a tract pamphlet down everyone's throat if they had one.

Jesus himself said this: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35) This is the acid test to discern true Christians. I hope that the non-Christians who read this can see the difference now. You see, in loving our fellow man and trying to save him from hell we refuse to stand on a box in the street and beat our chests in the name of God. "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them, and they with me." (Revelation 3:20) Scripture says nothing of Jesus kicking the door down and dragging followers into his way. This is not to say that we will lay down and be quiet, either. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8) As disciples of the one and only Son of God we are called to go out and make more disciples. Not because the church needs more money, or because we're just trying to annoy people. Not even because it just feels nice when a new believer is born and we all cry, "Hallelujah!" It is because Lord Jesus loves all people, and so, therefore, must his disciples.

In this day and age, the mere mention of the name of Jesus can evoke some pretty strong negative reactions. These reactions can range from the patronizing, "Hey, if that's your thing, good for you, but Jesus isn't my thing, OK?" to the outright, "You can take your Jesus and your Bible and jam it sideways (we all know where)." Truly, these reactions come from fear, or resentment, or some hidden pain, but the misunderstanding of Jesus teachings does not come from contradictions in Scripture, as I once thought. It comes from false teachers, hate mongers and those who would use Jesus' name for their own selfish desires. It also comes from the Enemy, Satan, who tries to influence people who seek God to seek something else instead, and who in preventing belief in Jesus is also preventing belief in himself. How better to deceive than to make oneself "nonexistent?" Then the whisperings of the Enemy in a human ear take on the guise of human thoughts, and concepts can be twisted and perverted until only hate remains.

Many, many people use the supposed Scriptural contradictions as a defense, though they've not picked up a Bible in years, if ever, and never really read it anyway. Even though there is no need to defend oneself, aversion is the automatic reaction. Better that than a Christian sink her hooks into you and actually make you believe it's really true, right? Heavens, no. I've read almost all of it now, and I'm here to tell you straight: The Bible does not contradict itself! It's actually quite coherent. And in meditating on many passages, I have discerned that the Holy Scriptures have the solution to many, if not every single problem we face as human beings. It isn't necessarily a pleasant solution, and it's not always a solution we find easy to accept, but it is a solution, all things being equal, that works. Problems in the world are the result of the Fall, and so it follows that God's Word is the cure.

But the topic today is hate. I guess one of the major reasons the secular world hates Christians is due to God's judgment. The non-Christians feel the believers themselves are judging them, or trying to change their lives, take away their freedom to have fun or enjoy life in the way they see fit as is their right accorded to them by the Constitution. God demands clean sin-free living, no doubt about it. What nonbelievers don't often realize is that they are already enslaved by their sins. And many are proud of it. How many more conversations must I endure of how drunk this guy got, or how many women so-and-so has slept with, or who's cheating on whose wife, or how many times can you drop the F-bomb in ten seconds? Of course, in pointing out the sin, Christians are accused of being "holier than thou" when in most cases they are just living up to the high standard God holds us to. And they are doing it out of love, not judgment, which is the sole domain of the Almighty himself. Of course, the Christian life is a hard road, and fraught with temptation. Moreover it leaves the Christian under scrutiny and at the mercy of the finger-pointers who say, "See, they're all hypocrites." Yes, Christians fail. Yes, we screw up. Yes, we sin. But we help each other, not judging, and raise each other up. We ask God to help free us from our chains of unrighteousness. And we are forgiven because of the wondrous thing Jesus did for us when he gave over his life to bear the weight of our imperfections. If God can forgive us, surely the world can give us a fair shake! But wait, Jesus also says this: "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first." (John 15:18). He was speaking to his disciples, and so to all of us who read it. Even those who speak the truth will be hated. So if we are despised because of false teachers, and shunned because of those who preach truth, what are we to do?

A wise Christian, in my estimation, will wait and pray until God provides an opportunity to witness for Christ in the most effective way. As I said earlier, we will not kick in the door for Jesus, but when the door opens, we're in there like a dirty shirt. And we're praying like crazy for those who would persecute us to be shown mercy and love from God. So you see, we are not enemies of the nonbeliever, or anyone. It's time we started taking some of our good name back out of the mud and wave the flag a little. Time to stomp out the haters in Christ's clothing and at the very least give the secular world a way to tell the true disciples from the false prophets. And remember, true believers, what God says: It is written: " 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' " (Isaiah 45:23). He will use us to get the word out. We just need to wait to be given our assignments without huffing and puffing and blowing houses down to do it, OK?

Non-Christians, I challenge you to be friendly to the next Christian who wants to talk to you about Jesus. Just have that conversation anyway. Just make time for it, even just ten minutes. Don't argue. Just listen, and ask questions. If you don't come away a believer, at least you'll gain a new understanding of the world of the disciple. We're not so bad, you know. We make excellent friends, even if now and then we tell a bit of Jesus' story. And if you do accept that it's true, then you won't feel injured, or conned, or manipulated. You'll feel awesome! And Christians, I challenge you to keep praying for those windows of opportunity where we can let a little of the Saviour's truth in and burn away the hatred. You are the light of the world. Let it shine!! "And they will know we are Christians by our love..."

See you next week...

Friday, March 21, 2008

Greater is he that lives within you...

Well, it seems Good Friday is a double blog entry day. My wife Candice reminds me that although what I just wrote is an important step, it is just as important to point out proof that I am on the right path. Substantial evidence. Hmm, where to begin...

For starters, the Lord lets me know through words and imagery that he is here with me on this journey. The thoughts I have when God speaks are like nothing I can think of on my own. One occasion I recall was the result of an argument Candice and I had over, are you ready? WHAT I WAS WEARING TO CHURCH! Yep, even though our pastors will now and then wear blue jeans and a checkered shirt or some such attire to church on Sunday, Candice expects me to be "presentable." At least a decent shirt and dress pants. I chose to wear my best black jeans and a good denim shirt this Sunday in December and Candice up and refused to come to church with me. It was five minutes before we were to leave the house. We were running late as it was, and now I had to beg Candice to reconsider. So, of course I bitched and chewed as I peeled off my clothes and changed as quickly as humanly possible. And then she said again that she wasn't going. I told her I didn't want to go without her and she said, "Fine, I guess we aren't going, then." And then she went back to bed.

OOOHHHH!!!! I was so mad I couldn't speak. So I got the kids out of the van and proceeded to grumble and gripe as I tied into the housework. Finally, as I was doing the dishes, I took a knee and prayed to the Father for a solution to our argument, because fighting with Candice pretty much tops the list of my least favourite things to do. Of a sudden, I saw in my mind the scene of the conflict from a third-person perspective. I saw myself railing away at how silly Candice was acting and how inconvenient she was making this. I saw myself acting like an ass! Even though Candice was not exactly being reasonable, either, that was not at all the focus of this vision. It was me. We are all responsible for ourselves and only ourselves. And responsible to one person only: God. I was shown this scene, and then these words came to me: "If you cause Candice to miss church again in this way, I will be very angry." Thoughts and visions of this nature are not the way I normally think, ever. I immediately ran to wake Candice up and share this with her.

Another proof I recall was just recently, in early February. Candice and I were on our way out from church and were going to stop and pick up some groceries before lunch. Candice had just had a disagreement with another church member and was obviously upset. Candice is struggling with her faith as it is, you see, and these situations shake her resolve in a serious way. She just lost her mother in July and had a major falling out with her grandmother as a result of the funeral arrangements and feels very alone as it is. It has affected her more than even she, I suspect, is aware.

In this case, she wanted to quit going to church, stop the fellowship with those in our community, close herself off and give up on God. I tried to reassure her that misunderstandings can be frustrating, but as a church family we are called to forgive and love one another. Of course this didn't help. After a long fruitless discussion on the way to the supermarket, I had no idea what I could do to re-encourage my wife. So we pulled into the parking lot and got out of the van. As I walked toward the store, I was met by a gentleman who seemed to be returning his cart to the store for his quarter. He asked, "Need a cart?" I nodded and went to pull out a quarter and he waved it away, saying, "don't worry about it." I handed it to him anyway, and then he looked at my daughter Raven. He said to her, "Are you going shopping, too?" She said she was, and so the man said, "Well, you'll need some money. Tell you what. If you can call this flip of the coin, you can have the quarter, OK?" Raven agreed and called heads. The man says, "Try again." So Raven calls tails and he gives her the quarter. Then he spies my five year-old, Duncan. He pulls out a quarter of his own and says, "I think you need money for shopping, too, OK?" and gives Duncan the coin. Candice and I both thank the man and he wishes us a great day as he walks away. I looked at Candice and saw a miraculous sight. She was smiling! I knew then and there it was God's hand at work. I, the man Candice loves the most, was completely powerless to make her happy, and a simple little gesture of a stranger's kindness brought such joy to her heart that I gave praise to the Lord then and there and explained to Candice what I thought of the situation. By this time we were in the store and I realized I never looked back at the man who had given Candice this joy. I had never even thought to. This leads me to the conclusion that either A) God had called upon one of his people to intercede on his behalf, or B) that he had sent an angel to touch my wife in this way. I have a feeling it's B. Either way, God is at work in our lives. I have no doubt.

A third time I was memorably aware of his presence was a scary day a while after the preceding event. I was at work and was outside at break time. Snow began falling very steadily and I had never seen such sparkle in the flakes before. Every flake that fell caught the sunlight in such a way that it flashed and shone like a twinkling star. It looked like I was living in a freshly shaken snow globe. The ground looked as if it were paved with polished diamonds. It was incredible, and I felt such peace come over me that I knew God was reassuring me as if to say, "Everything's going to be OK."

Later that day, before lunch, I got a very disturbing phone call. Candice was telling me that our two year-old, Gabriel, was having a seizure of some kind. His eyes were rolled back and he was unresponsive to her. This had never happened to any of my kids before. I told her to call the doctor and rushed home. All the way home I prayed like a madman, begging the Lord to save my little boy, to make him well. When I got home there was an ambulance in the laneway. I was even more afraid as I ran to the door. I spoke to one of the paramedics that was on her way out the door and she said Gabriel would be fine. It was just a febrile seizure, and was not as serious as it looked. We went to the hospital. The doctor assured us that it was not serious and what to do should he have a fever again. I realized at the hospital that I had forgotten altogether what God had said to me with the snow that morning. It was a lesson: Trust God when he says it'll be OK. It will! He doesn't always speak in words, but he doesn't lie.

Finally, a noteworthy thing happened to Candice the other day. She had just gotten finished making lunch for our sons, and was about to go back to the computer like she normally did, and thought of perhaps sitting with the boys as they ate. As she started to think, "Maybe not this time," she heard a voice in her mind: "Why don't you have lunch with them?" She knew it wasn't her own thought. She even said grace before they ate together that day. Further evidence that the heavenly Father has a hand in our lives.

Finally, today Candice and I had a rough day. Candice's faith cannot seem to stay strong. Her faith was in a low spot today of all days and after a day of ups and downs, and finally telling me she thinks maybe she can't follow me on this walk with the Lord and our journey together is possibly over, she decided to nap through dinner and I ended up going to Good Friday service alone. I knew the Enemy was whacking at Candice in a big way and I was determined he would not steal my joy. He would not shake my faith. He would not pull me away from the Lord. I sat alone in the pew and took it all in. The congregation seemed to respond to my feelings. I was feeling low. For no special reason, a great many of them came up and shook my hand and offered encouragement and good wishes for Candice. The senior pastor, whom I consider a good friend of ours, asked me to join him in the ritual washing of each other's feet, as is done every Good Friday, symbolically humbling ourselves in servitude to our brothers as Jesus himself did with his disciples before he gave his life for us on the cross. And finally, as we stood and took communion, I felt a reassuring hand on my shoulder, and turned to thank the person, but no one was there. I looked left and right, but saw no one at all. I choked up and thanked Lord Jesus for being there with me. After the service, I spoke with a couple more of my brothers and sisters, then went home to talk to my wife. We worked it out, and although I know this won't be the last day of uncertainty for my wife, I know God is with her. I only pray she comes to really know that too, with a lasting faith and not a fleeting one. To all you followers of Jesus out there, please send a prayer or two Candice's way. She needs all the spiritual support we as a body can muster. Thanks.

I could go on and on with little proofs that occur regularly, day to day, week to week. All along the road that I have walked with Lord Jesus, I have seen and felt and heard such wondrous things. He is truly Lord of all. And in his name we can certainly have victory over sin and death. Amen!

Next issue, I'm not sure what we'll talk about, but I guarantee it'll be interesting. See you soon.

Blessings to all and Happy Easter!

Take the red pill...

In the blockbuster science fiction masterpiece called The Matrix: there are a few memorable quotes that stick with me as I embarked on this journey.

The first is this: "You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life, that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad. It is this feeling that brought you to me."

The second is part of the same scene: "This is your last chance. After this there is no turning back. You take the blue pill; the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill; you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes..." As Neo reaches for the red pill, Morpheus concludes, "Remember, all I'm offering is the truth. Nothing more..."

This scene in what could be construed as the greatest piece of science fiction cinema of all time, is pivotal when we think of the life choices people make. To seek a higher power or not. To follow our calling or not. To believe in God or not. To take that leap of faith down the rabbit hole or not. These choices are made based on our past experiences. In a fallen world such as this, these choices become vastly more difficult, and often heartbreaking if that choice appears, after much effort is spent, to be a wild goose chase. 'Life is too short,' you might say, 'to spend too much time pursuing something invisible.' Some are more discouraged. 'I've tried Christianity. All that happened is I spent a lot of money and got nothing back but guilt.'

Here is where one of the greatest lies of the Enemy comes into bloom. And where a great many of us turn away from Jesus without even considering the whole picture before knowing what he represents. And so here I am to tell my story to those who will hear it. In Matthew 11:15, Jesus himself states plainly: "He who has ears, let him hear."

I always knew there was something beyond the everyday existence. I always knew from childhood that what we can see is not always all there is. But, as a fairly gullible child, I could probably been made to believe anything. My mother delights in telling the story of how I came home one day to reveal that a school chum of mine had dinosaurs in his backyard... The point is that there is so much untruth and deception extant in the world today that to just up and take the leap of faith is very daunting. For those who were raised in truly Christ-centered families, this leap is not usually a leap at all. It is a step into the adult Christian life, with a faith that is already inherent and nurtured. For those of us who turned from the path as young people, or who grew up in secular or non-Christian homes, this leap is like staring into the mouth of a volcano wearing only a Speedo!

As I said in my previous post, by the time I was in high school I had pretty much turned my back on Christianity as a whole, because I felt it was just one more religion in a world full to busting with different belief systems, and that there was no way to discern which one was the right way unless you devoted your whole life seeking the truth. For teens, the road of life is twofold: it is long and frightening to think about, and it is too short to experience everything, ergo many teens try to experience as much happiness and excitement as possible before they become adults and, 'the party's over...' And consequently many turn away from the limitations imposed by religion, and the search for truth is abandoned. Exciting new schools of thought take its place, though. Scientific studies, psychology and the secular world's encouragement of teenage rebellion all have their roles in our fallen world. At this point in my life, I didn't know the whole story, and wouldn't have wanted to hear it anyway. I figured, if there were really a God, he'll have mercy on those who do good in this world and not necessarily just those who believe in him. Convenient, eh?

For many young non-Christian adults in their twenties, and even older, it is preferable to be angry at the world than do anything about its fall. And those who aren't angry can certainly be resigned to the realization that it just 'ain't gonna get any better.' At any rate, the task seems completely hopeless. It generally takes a very charismatic and revolutionary person to sway the opinion of the masses. And the masses of which I speak are the ones who actually pay attention to the world. Many just sit and don't even watch the world go by. Like I was once, they would rather just enjoy simple pleasures in life, in essence just waiting for it all to be over, and will not even listen to anything that disturbs the waters of their little pond. They may be "content," and not have a care in the world, because they are oblivious to the walls crumbling all around them. Why should they care? What is so important in the world of the visible that demands the attention of every living soul? The charismatic people of which I just spoke can take many forms. Be they authors, actors, singers, journalists, politicians or religious leaders, a fiery passion and a solid foundation of belief in something generally prone to make people sit up and listen. Usually it's the people who keep an ear out for these sorts of things. The ones who sit in their little rooms sheltered away from the chaos of the outside world may occasionally hear an introduction to something profound and life-changing, but once some effort, faith and courage are required on their part, they mostly click the next link or put the book down. So we wait and we watch... I mean, in a world where a celebrity can invent a "signature sandwich" consisting of sliced prime rib, bacon, sauteed mushrooms, mozzarella cheese and chipotle mayo, sell the idea to Quizno's on Celebrity Apprentice and then be newsworthy enough to be mentioned on the morning radio news, how can anything really important be heard through the droning white noise of society? In another quote from The Matrix: "It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes, to blind you from the truth..."

Deciding to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ is a leap of faith. No doubt about it. First, you need to accept unequivocally that what is written in the Bible is actually the truth, even that stuff hidden in parables. It is effectively "taking the red pill." My decision to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour was, I thought, the most exciting and revolutionary decision I ever made. I came when I was called, and there really is "no turning back." I heard God speaking to me through his people, and for the first time in my life, I didn't have an argument ready. Instead, I felt inclined to listen and allow the Lord himself to present his case without allowing my preconceived notions to deafen me and close the door. There was no thought of, "Well, the Bible is just chock-full of contradictions," or "How can I serve a God that demands so much sacrifice?" or my favourite piece of rhetoric: "Better to rule in Hell than serve in Heaven." That last one comes out of the mouths of even teenagers, who so flippantly wave their individuality around like a banner. Somehow somebody started that little rumour and the Enemy fanned the flames and whispered promises into young, impressionable ears that Hell is "where the party is" while Heaven is a place where you spend all your time bowing and scraping to a God who'll burn you as fast as lightning if you step out of line. No wonder God is losing followers, right?

WRONG! Jesus said in Matthew 11:28: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Many see any burden placed upon you by God as one they aren't willing to bear. They see it as oppression. Here is the true extent of that burden, as stated by Jesus in Matthew 22:37. "Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." If we live our lives solely to fulfill these commands, life may not always be easy, but it WILL be joyful. The yoke we will bear will be light and whatever burden it occasionally is will be easy. After all, to truly do something out of love is to happily put forth whatever effort the act requires, regardless of the cost, and not desire thanks or repayment afterward. All God desires is that we love him, and each other, and live in peace.

This is the foundation which points to the whole reason God sent his son Jesus to walk among us. Jesus teaches us in Scripture, and in our daily lives, how to live in peace. How to love one another, and thereby love God and seek to please him. How to accept love from another and not be suspicious of it. During Jesus' life on earth, he gave us the foundation by which we should lay down our burdens and our weapons and our hatred. By which we should forgive all debts and trespasses. By which we should believe there is a better way and a place in Heaven for every single living soul on earth. You see, John 3:16-21 states another foundational truth: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him. He that believes on him is not judged: he that believes not hath been judged already, because he has not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. For every one that does evil hates the light, and comes not to the light, lest his works should be reproved. But he that does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be made manifest, that they have been wrought in God."

ETERNAL LIFE! That's the famous line. What comes after, though is the part we sometimes forget. Jesus did not come in order to point fingers and lay blame, reward the righteous and condemn the sinner. He came to save us all! To secure a place for everyone in the Kingdom! If only we can lay aside our petty anger and jealousy and debts owed us, and believe that he died for our sin. Believe that God's hope for us is to see him at the end of our lives and be welcomed into his glorious presence. His desire is that none should perish, but receive the gift of eternal life in Christ our Lord. Because he loves us all that much.

Now, for a non-believer, this is a tall order. To believe that one man could bear the burden of every single sin that people commit once and for all time is a tough one for anyone to believe. Unless you understand, as I do now, that Jesus was God in human form. Many don't know this. God laid aside his deity, or godhood, for a time to experience life as a human being. Thus, by dying on the cross, he brought the curse of all our wrongdoing and hatred and violence and excess onto himself and purged it, so that we can enter Heaven pure and clean at the end. And so here we are on Good Friday. The day we hold as the anniversary of Jesus crucifixion. The day our sins were forgiven, as long as we believe it. And on the day we die and stand before God, the whole of our lives will be laid out for all to see. Belief in Jesus means that his sacrifice will cancel our debt of sin, and so when Satan, the Accuser, says, "I know you, and I know what evil you've done," we will ask the Lord what he sees. And the Lord will embrace us, saying, "I see nothing but the blood of my Son, Jesus Christ." And we will be welcomed in the Kingdom. Isn't that encouraging? Guilt was never meant to be a part of our lives! True belief means a death to our old life, turning from sin to the best of our ability, and accepting the gift as such: a gift. Free of charge. Jesus is our certificate of debt. It reads "PAID IN FULL." Will you take the red pill? After all, all I'm offering is the truth. Nothing more...

Next issue, I'll reveal some experiences I've had that prove it to me again and again that God is alive and well in the world, and in our lives. Even where we least expect him to be. And while you're waiting, I challenge you non-believers to crack open the book of Romans. And you Christians, it's worth the re-read. For sure.

Grace to all.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

As for me and my house...

In Old Testament Scripture, Joshua 24:15 states, "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord."

These words are the conclusion of Joshua's speech at Shechem where he renewed the Covenant between the people of Israel and the Lord, shortly before his death at the age of 110. These events occurred in and around the year 1245 BC. The people of Israel chose to serve the Lord over any other god they'd ever known. Around 3253 years later, in the little village of Zurich, Ontario, I made the same choice. That was only 4 months ago. And it was only 5 months ago that I even began to consider that God was real. How did that happen? Perhaps you would like to hear the tale? OK, go get a coffee and get comfy. I'll wait...

OK, we're back. The story begins when I was a child. Although occasionally I went to Sunday school (which I have no memory of except for one day waiting outside Grantham United Church in St. Catharines for my mom to pick me up.), and once to Vacation Bible School, I never really caught the message. The Bible was just a collection of stories to me. My parents didn't reinforce anything, really. And who can blame them? After all, I have rarely heard the story of a memorable sermon given by a pastor in the childhood of my parents' generation. Most church stories I've heard are of the trouble they got into as kids, or of the many naps brought on by long, lifeless sermons.

And God waited and watched as His people dwindled in number. Everyone I knew in my generation around the age of ten said he or she was a Christian, because they believed in God. But that was the way to be normal those days. I certainly didn't really believe in God. No one had impressed me enough to get me to really believe it in my heart. But I said I did, because everyone else said they did. Those days, there were very few kids at my school in St. Catharines of different ethnicities, and none of them of a different world religion. Everyone said they believed in God, and we all said the Lord's Prayer after the National Anthem at school. None of us really knew what that meant, and the thought of praying any other time than at church on Sunday (if you went to church at all) was ludicrous.

So, we grew up. High school brought on a few changes. By this time I had come into the belief that God probably didn't really exist, because I became aware of other world religions and decided there were too many to choose from. How could one possibly pick the right one? It was a crap shoot. The Christians and the Muslims continued their epic battle in Lebanon and Palestine. In history and social studies classes we learned a bit about Native Spirituality, obviously Greek mythology and some African and Indian belief systems. One of our teachers was a Buddhist and another was a Hindu. It was during this period that the Lord's Prayer disappeared from schools. We all know why. Christianity had become offensive to the public. Because of a few diverse ethnicities due to heavy immigration and new schools of theological thought, belief in Jesus Christ was confined, shackled, if you will, to our homes and churches, mostly on Sunday. Most families I knew didn't say grace at meals (except perhaps at Christmas and Thanksgiving), never spoke of God, and tried in vain to beset their children with pale, quasi-Christian values even though they didn't know Jesus as Lord. As a result, I took a stand as an Atheist, rebelling against the right-wing conservative machine that threatened to turn us all into tie-wearing, short-haired, Bible-toting zombies who didn't know how to think for themselves.

And God waited and watched as His people splintered off into denominations, whether they went to church or not. United, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Anglican, Catholic, or Presbyterian all joined the droning masses of the fight to keep God on life support, even though His people privately warred one against the other. Especially against the extreme factions like the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and gasp, Born-again Christians! While everyone had their judgmental eyes on those crackpots, Islam, Atheism, and Neo-Paganism moved into the neighbourhood and cried loudly for an equal share of the right to freedom of religion. And while no one I knew paid them much attention, their movements grew. In my twenties, I became a Neo-Pagan myself, believing in the divinity of Nature and the spiritual power of the self to effect change in my life. Many of the Christians I knew at this point believed in God, but didn't understand Jesus Christ, and didn't really attend church anyway. I hadn't read any Scripture in years, and any Scripture I knew was rhetorical proverb or basic stories. With no idea of the meaning of any of it, I began to develop a seething hatred for organized religion as a whole, and Christianity fueled my ire on its own. I was entrenched in the idea that Christian religious leaders would take your money with one hand and condemn you to Hell with the other. Anyone not a Christian was frowned upon by most of the public, but so were real Christians who tried to bring the gospel back into the light. The nineties were a trying time for everyone. War was everywhere.

And God pinched the bridge of His nose and sighed as His people began to give up. Indifference set in in a big way, and day-to-day drudgery took the place of vibrant faith-driven pursuits. Work, work, work. Get ahead any way you can. Make money: you're going to need it. Alcoholism and drug-abuse soared. Divorce rates jumped. Suicide rates spiked. Crime statistics became ridiculous. Violence was everywhere. And the wars and terror raged out of control. After 9/11, hatred and tolerance for other cultures run a dead heat. With hatred in our hearts, we cannot find God because we're too busy hating to seek Him. With tolerance comes acceptance and some of us tend to gravitate toward the new, incorporating attractive parts of other cultures into our own lives, often at God's expense. Sometimes we don't even know what it is we hate, or are tolerant of. We just know that's what we need to do in this world or we'll be consumed.

Whoa! Back up a second! Are you saying the non-Christians are just existing for the sake of existing? Not at all. It's that they often don't know what it is they're existing for and as a result are waiting for a revelation. Either that or they accept that life has no big meaning and just ride it out trying to squeeze as much pleasure out of it as they can. Or worse yet, they become mentally or even spiritually ill and rely on secular therapists or bogus spiritual guides to fix them. There is a plethora of reasons non-Christians stay non-Christians, and so I'll say that if you want to know why, ask a few! A lot of them may tell you they believe in God or some higher power, but they don't want to hear about Jesus. People who talk about Jesus in public are pushy, crazy people who want you to give up your time and come to their church and donate to their church's collection plate, right? They raise their hands and cry and jump up and down as the pastor heals a cripple with one good right cross and speaks in odd languages. They whip out their chequebooks on command and the church makes enough money to buy the pastor another BMW. Or, they want you to come and shave your head and drink the Kool-Aid before the mother ship descends to take us to Heaven. Better to just avoid the topic altogether, right?

That's who I was. A non-believer with a chip on my shoulder. My Neo-Pagan practice of witchcraft was, after a few years, more of a dabbling than a faith, and as much as I tried to hide it, a rebellion against the mainstream. Being a Christian in the 21st century is less than popular, I know, but when those who deny Jesus won't listen, even when they don't know what they aren't listening to, that's what happens. Rebellion, denial, and hatred. So the latest leg of my journey begins a couple of years ago...

I was head of the Security department at the Greater Niagara General Hospital. I was a Wiccan, and didn't care who knew. I had no need for redemption, because for me the afterlife was a trip through a transitive plane called Underworld, where the soul is cleansed of all negativity and learns forgiveness for itself. Then it's off to Summerland, which is what I knew to be Heaven, a joining with the divine and either eternal happiness or reincarnation, your choice. Sounds great, right? Except that there's a catch. What you send out in this life comes back times three, and somehow even when you think you're doing good, you're harming someone and you spend your life second-guessing yourself, which harms you and what comes back is seen as your own fault. Not to mention that so many "denominations" of Paganism exist and Pagans can pick and choose what aspects to incorporate into their magical life. Neo-Paganism is different for most Neo-Pagans. And many are solitary practitioners, with no training, slapping potions and charm bags together and casting all manner of spell energy into the air in the name of elemental gods without a moment's hesitation. Some witchly traditions stay pure, however, and the tolerant Pagan in one of these covens may find their tolerance giving way to jealous finger-pointing and self-righteousness. "My tradition is the right way. Yours is just silly...," "My gods will kick your gods' butts all over Valhalla..." That sort of thing. I was absolutely tolerant of other religions and expected the same of others, so the whole Christian commission to "make disciples of all nations" bit didn't sit so well with me. My tolerance only went so far, and even the mention of Jesus was enough to provoke an eye-rolling from me and an invitation not to darken my doorstep any longer.

Living in Niagara Falls, Ontario is not what I would recommend to a family man trying to raise healthy kids. Oh, yeah, the health system is OK and the education system is all regulated and such, but it's a dangerous place, and not one for kids to live in. Sorry to all you Niagara people, but being at the hospital every day, wrestling with the violent mentally ill, substance abusing and downright ornery people who think the world had better stay out of their way will get to you after a seven years or so. So, one day I was in Zurich for my cousin's wedding, and was lamenting the state of the world and big-city life, and it was suggested I move my family to Zurich and start a safer, quieter lifestyle. It meant a MAJOR life-change, and giving up a career I thought was my calling. But thirty minutes or so later, it was decided. We'd become country folk.

We moved here in October 2005. My common-law wife Candice and three kids (Raven, Duncan, and Gabriel) didn't make as quick an adjustment as I did, but we're still here. We got married for real last June, by the way, in a Wiccan ceremony in the city park in Exeter. Over two years in the country, where life was supposed to be less stressful and more serene, I still held a lot of the seething anger I had as a city slicker. Once, my wife even left me for a weekend because I was angry all the time. I took a secular anger management course which even helped a bit, for a while, but I still struggled on with a raving beast inside.

Then last October, I just remember thinking about God, and whether He was real. I even asked, "God, are you there? Are you real? Do you see me? Do you love me?" Of course I didn't share this with Candice for fear she'd think I was a nut. She'd been attending church for a month or so so the kids would have Sunday school to interact with other kids and Candice could meet new people in town because she'd been isolated in our little farmhouse and needed to make some friends. So one day a few weeks later I shared and got the expected reaction I had feared, but then Candice suggested I come to church. I was skeptical at first, but decided to give it a try.

WELL! A guest speaker was giving a sermon that Sunday at the Mennonite church, and he said exactly what I needed to hear. He spoke from the Book of Romans, and I can't remember what moved me the most, but I knew Jesus as Lord from that day. A couple of weeks later, we had a meeting with the senior pastor to discuss the Mennonite doctrine, and determine from there whether this was the church for us, or if we wanted to switch to United or Lutheran, or some other denomination. The pastor, who is a very faithful and humble man, led us into a two hour discussion about the nature of faith, heaven and hell, God's will for all of us, and who Jesus really is. WOW! I'd had no idea what I'd been missing, and I knew that the Lord was speaking through His servant that day. I still, however, was not yet ready to make the final commitment.

That's when I received a phone call from an elder of the church, a few days later. Another faithful and humble man, he invited me to join him and a few other men from the church in attending a Promise Keepers conference over a weekend in November. I said, "sure," and the ladies in Candice's study group said, "Oh, he's going to come home SAVED!" No doubt. The conference was incredible. The Lord called out to all His people as soon as I arrived and I had absolutely no choice but to obey. With tears in my eyes and a heart brimming with joy, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour, and was saved by His eternal Grace. AMEN!!

Joy. A small word. But yet it was something I had not felt for real since I was a small child. Maybe a bit when my children were born. But my heart never sang with such overwhelming and powerful joy as when I took Lord Jesus' hand and began to walk with Him. His love swept me away to places in my heart I'd never known. His majesty filled me with an awe I'd never felt. His power showed me the way to salvation. He is my king!! Nothing has been the same ever since that weekend. Upon returning home, Candice thought I'd been swapped by aliens for a big ol' loving, happy clone of myself. And I found a new family, God's family, right here in a little village church.

This is the part of the blog where I turn the keyboard over to the Lord and let Him write it. Next issue, we'll talk about God's place in my life, and the struggle I've had to keep Him there. Stay tuned, and maybe dust off the New Testament and check out the Gospel of John if you haven't read it. It's definitely worth the read. We'll talk again soon.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Allow me to introduce myself.

Hi. Nice to meet you. Welcome to my very first blog.

As a brand spanking new follower of the Way of Jesus Christ, I've decided to start keeping a journal chronicling my journey in the faith. This new way is so radically different from anything I've ever done, and it must be said that it is undeniably dissimilar to the notion of Christianity held by much of the public at large. But it is the way to salvation. That much is absolute.

Any or possibly many of you non-Christians out there reading this will be able to agree that the form of Christianity I used to know "so much" about is the same Christianity you know "all" about, and have rejected. And to you lifelong Christ Followers who've taken the time to read my ramblings, I am certain you'll be surprised at what much of the world really thinks of you, and of our Lord. I certainly don't mean that nonbelievers all view us in a hostile way. (I definitely hope that non-Christians will read this.) I just mean that the world of the non-believer is filled with misconceptions about Jesus, His ministry, and His Way.

Incorrect opinions of the Church, the Christian life and the eternal kingdom have been my bread and butter for over twenty years. Suddenly, it all changed, and in this blog I will attempt in my own way to give some background to that old life (before I forget where I came from), and then press forward with new discoveries and milestones as I come to them.

Anyway, the point is that I'm on a new and exciting journey, and I invite you all, Christians, Pagans, Muslims, Jews, Humanists, Atheists and all points in between to walk with me. I'd love it if you'd come along.

Stay tuned for more posts, coming soon.