Killing Time versus Killing Self

Most of us have never really considered what the term Killing Time means. I know I’ve not thought much about it until right now. I’ve had a broken up day and didn’t make much money. We got home early to go to Anna’s track meet and found out that the meet was cancelled due to weather. Funny, I remember walking to and from school in 9 feet of snow and tornados howling. Life has changed.

Anyway, I sat down to consider the implications of an open evening to catch up on some mindless office work. Youth Convention gobbled up my weekend and I woke this Monday morning feeling like I had a hang over (3 Monster’s and enough coffee to keep me from having a stroke in this life time).

Looking at my desk piled high with mail, papers, scribbled notes from my Sunday sermon (I started a series on Wisdom – don’t laugh), receipts, the latest 2 books I’m reading, my new music CD’s (Third Day Revelation, RemedyDrive Daylight is Coming, and The Best of Bebo Norman – I still can’t believe I listen to a guy named Bebo), DVD’s me and Andrew make for our worship service, an old dictionary I’ve had for many years, my Tyndale New Testament Commentary on Luke, my Day Timer that’s bulging with stuff I need to file, USB cables, post-it-notes with all my internet usernames and passwords, and some coupons from Menards, makes me just pucker a bit in my gut.

My desk can wait until after dinner at Subway with my straight A kids (they get those free combo meal certificates – you’d think they could give ‘em cash for all the taxes I pay). And for now I’m gonna kill some time blogging. Its way too cathartic for me and way too irritating for some of my FB friends and Network buddies to quit, plus I plan to be the writer my dad never got to be (cut short by a stroke).

As for killing time, I think many people choose to kill time instead of themselves. I think that’s a good alternative to the latter. But really what is killing time all about, but wasting precious moments that are irretrievable. You know what I mean? Not that there’s anything wrong with margins in our lives. Margins and boundaries and Sabbath are all essential to spiritual, emotional and physical health, but time is irreplaceable.

I heard it once said that Bill Gates once said (if that’s not gossip I don’t know what is), when asked what he wanted, since he could have anything, he supposedly said, “more time”. It’s probably true. Think of it for a moment. Time represents life. When time stops, life stops (at least as we know it). So when we choose to kill time versus doing productive and progressive things needing attention or responsibility, we might just be choosing life versus the alternative. Yet many would frown on the thought of killing time (they’re probably the ones right now scraping the roof of their mouth with the muzzle of a gun).

It seems that when we get overwhelmed with stuff that we need to do, many of us find ourselves reaching for the knurled handle of a snubbed nosed .38 and a bottle of Jack. Except it all takes the form of idleness. That’s right, for the wise and the cowardice; killing time is a much better alternative than killing self.

Don’t flood my comment box, but I think we need to develop some leadership courses on the art of guilt free time killing. Because all the hours of leadership conferences I’ve logged have never really removed the guilt so often associated with my need to abduct some quality and random Sabbath.

Several months ago, in a conversation I was having with the Lord, I asked Him about this subject. I’ve always felt guilty for taking a nap when I’m tired. If someone would call the house, I would not ask my family to lie, but I would tell them to tell the caller I was busy and would call them back (busy napping). I could never bring myself to letting on that I was napping.

When I asked the Lord where that feeling of guilt came from, He showed me. Years ago, when I was a child, my dad would incessantly make us get up early on the weekends. He was always an early riser and would impose that compulsion on the rest of us. The Lord showed me one time when my dad came into my room and said “get up you’re sleepin’ your life away.” Mind you, it was probably 8:00 am or something, but to him that was lazy, good for nothing, white trash, apathetic, wasting your life away kinda stuff, and he wasn’t gonna tolerate that in our home.

As a result of that one incident, I’ve been terrified for all my life that people would think I was lazy. And I’m really not. I actually know how to make money and work hard and even smart sometimes. But I’m not lazy. Yet all those years I was bound by that memory, by that lie.

When I asked the Lord about all these things, He told me I wasn’t lazy. Ever since then, if I’m napping and someone calls I tell the family to tell the caller I’m napping. Actually I’m kinda proud of that fact now. So if you call and can’t reach me, I might be napping (get over it).

Or maybe I’m just killing time like right now, because I’m too wise and cowardice to choose the alternative. Let me encourage you to learn the art of killing time. You’ll be glad you did.

Now I’m off to Subway for an Italian BMT foot-long. Jealous?

Wisdom, Value and Feeling like Crap

As I sit here typing these words I wonder how much actual wisdom I possess. Some of you readers might argue very little, and for that I wouldn’t even know what to say. Because the assessment of our own wisdom is so stinking subjective and prideful that it’s really hard to get an accurate bearing on quantity let alone quality.

Yet Jesus said something so brief and poignant that I really have to use it as precedent for making a point. In Luke 7:35 we find the Lord’s words; “But wisdom is proved right by all her children.” (NIV)

Have you ever wondered what God’s purpose was in giving us the ability to accept wisdom or to reject it? The unfortunate fact is that most of us are so insecure (ever since we realized we were naked – about 8,000 years ago) that when our need for wisdom is suggested, we bristle and go hide in a bush somewhere. Or we stand up with our fists raised and determine that anyone else’s assessment of our need for more wisdom is grounds for a fight. Either way our reactions are usually pretty immature. And indeed reveal our bad feelings about being naked.

It seems that we’ve progressively gotten worse when it comes to the acknowledgment of our need for wisdom, because children are the payout. Look around, walk around, shop around, and talk around. Just rub up against anyone these days and you’ll find such a deficit of wisdom it’s scary.

Stupid seems to be really cool and hip these days. As a result, wisdom and knowledge are more and more the bastard children of some Department of Homeland Security’s latest extremist hit list.

And why might that be? Because in our own eyes each of us has lost value. Somewhere along the line we’ve believed the lie that we’ve got to compete with the folks next door. Before you know it we’re up to our eyeballs in nitrogenous waste, usually without a paddle. All because we rejected wisdom, then we rejected our own value, which led to the mad scramble of satiating our bad feelings, which always leads to throwing someone under the bus. All in the name of trying to make ourselves feel better about ourselves.

If the wisdom of man is good and suitable for life, then his children should be in good shape. But they’re not. And if we believe in the Wisdom of God, then so too like Jesus said, our children would be in good shape also, but they’re not.

When the Barna Research Group comes out with statistics that show well over 1/3 of self professing Christians do NOT believe that the Holy Spirit nor the Devil are real, but simply metaphors for good and evil, we better check the parents of these children, because we’ve got some bastards on our hands that are rapidly headed in the wrong direction.

And the crazy part is this: if we ask God for Wisdom, He says He’ll give it, but first He’ll check our motives. If the end result is an increase of man centered wisdom, then it’s likely our collective cry for God’s Wisdom either a) went unheard by God or b) our motives were wrong.

So the next time you think you’ve got some slick wisdom going for you, check the children. If they’re doing great, then maybe its God… if not you might have gotten sucked in by the oldest trick in the Book.

The Empty Tomb

What’s so great about an empty tomb? I'll try to explain what it means to me.

I don’t claim to be a specialist on the Resurrection, but no matter how you slice it, Jesus’ empty tomb is unique in the fact that indeed historic documentation tells us, three days after His crucifixion, the tomb He was buried in came up empty.

Most world leaders of any consequence that have died are buried somewhere. Most religious leaders who have died are also buried someplace.

But with Jesus, that’s another story.

Most of us have experienced the loss of someone to the sting of death, a relative or a friend. And we can take you to their grave site and show you the headstone and often the sunken earth covering the vault. But I for one have never met anyone that has died, been buried, and three days later rose again, except Jesus.

Some of you might argue that my exception to the resurrection rule, namely Jesus, cannot be proven as fact that He is alive or has ever been alive since His crucifixion. And I would say; “Indeed you’re right”. I cannot prove it based upon empirical data, or beyond the historic musings of brain washed (or renewed) followers that the resurrection occurred, but I can rest upon something more than empirical data.

I rest upon an experience that for me is beyond dispute. I rest upon an encounter with Jesus Christ on a personal basis that is no less than esoteric and more often far greater.

Like most things in life that are challenging to the rational senses, i.e. high levels of pain, high levels of adrenaline, high levels of ecstasy, high levels of wonder and awe and even high levels of common joy and satisfaction, my experience with Jesus Christ is almost beyond description. It’s like something that surpasses all understanding, especially for the uninitiated.

And yet concrete proof seems to be what resurrection opponents are looking for. It’s like asking someone to prove or explain the experiential effects of lysergic acid diethylamide on individual human beings. One can observe outward behaviors and testimonials regarding the experience, but until someone has actually dropped acid, it’s nearly impossible to describe the experience.

I’m in no way advocating drug use, but for the uninitiated, they will never fully understand the experience nor understand why someone might use of that type of substance. The same is true when someone encounters the Living God. Until you experience Him in a personal way, you really cannot fully comprehend nor appreciate the powerful life changing effects.

So when it comes to an empty tomb, it does matter. The God that I know, based upon my personal relational experience with His Son, has proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the empty tomb is valid, because that Son has touched my life.

And no matter how hard anyone would argue otherwise, my personal relational experience and the same with millions of others is indisputable. I only wish that the billions of individuals that have yet to fully experience the empty tomb and the Living Risen Savior Jesus Christ would take the plunge and begin to communicate with Him. He is alive. He will speak to your heart. He is able to forgive your sin. He is able to heal your pain and give you the capacity to live in peace. He has made a way for you to have a personal relational experience with His Father, the one and only true and Living God.

It’s all simply a matter of realizing the power and potential of this empty tomb. I know I can never fully convince the skeptics, but I know what I’ve experienced. And nothing will ever change that… absolutely nothing.

He is Alive.

My Struggle with Math

We’ve heard it said that American kids today are sliding further and further behind in their math and science aptitudes and if education doesn’t turn things around real soon, we’ll find ourselves at the bottom of the global totem pole of developing nations.

That’s pretty heavy to take in at 6 o’clock in the morning, but something struck me recently that goes way beyond any global education race or debate.

Early on in my life I gravitated toward the Life Sciences. I don’t know why, but I do remember my dad fed me a consistent diet of Jane Goodall, Jacques Cousteau, and a myriad of other science related shows on PBS as far back as I can remember.

My dad was a pioneer in the use of video media in the Des Moines School District. Way back in the late 60’s I would hop in my dad’s VW Beetle and we’d drive over to Amos Hiatt Junior High in the dark of some week night. We’d meet and cajole with a black janitor as we headed up to his class room. My dad would set up this huge black and white monitor with a big set of rabbit ears antenna to grab the latest PBS series right out of the air. Then he’d plug in the big VTR machine. It had a weird smell like melted plastic and the recording media, 2 inch reel to reel video tape, would whir and jerk as he cued up the tape for the next show. It was a great introduction to the sciences, long before the Discovery Channel. And fun to be with my dad too.

Sometime in my elementary school years, I got an entire chemistry lab. Not just the chemistry set, but an entire little room designated as my lab, fully equipped with all the glassware and equipment one might need to create some basement pathogen or on the minimum, burn the house down with my Bunsen burner. I never said my folks were always wise.

Needless to say, the systematic acquisition of knowledge (one definition of science) has always been in my DNA, even though I struggled with the more traditional studious academic disciplines (ergo my less than perfect GPA). So the drive to seek knowledge and understanding, especially in areas that are germane to my life, is not hard for me.

Jesus said… know the truth and you’ll be set free. So seeking to know Him and experience all He has for me has never been difficult or something I’m at odds with. Maybe the science thing is what makes me love being a disciple of His.

But here’s the real kicker. In most, if not all of the sciences, to include Life Science, math plays a pretty significant role. And my dad never (that I can remember) sat me down with a Times Table and helped me learn the finer art and discipline of multiplication. Unlike his pioneering spirit with video media, he seemed to lack the same drive when it came to math and making sure I knew that kind of stuff.

By the time I reached college, I was really hurting. Not so much emotionally (that’s for other blog), but boy I struggled with the math courses required for being a Biology major and a Chemistry and Computer Science minor.

Here’s the link: Without the ability to do math fluently, one’s ability to “do” science properly comes to a screeching halt. Somewhere just past the golgi bodies and the pistils and the stamens. Basic science, like basic Christianity and discipleship, is about as far as a person can go… without math.

Jesus tested Peter’s mathematic prowess and willingness. He asked Peter if he knew what 7 x 70 equaled. Unfortunately Peter was just a simple fisherman, and multiplication as we know it had yet to come into its own. So we can cut Peter some slack, but to God, that equation is paramount and eternally significant.

Jesus told Peter that he was to forgive at least 490 times. But He really meant indefinitely. For you see, God calls us to forgive from our heart or else He cannot forgive us. So when it comes to math, our ability and willingness to multiply forgiveness toward another person is absolutely critical.

How’s your math these days?

Parting of Company

In the spring of 2008 acclaimed author and theologian Dr. J.I. Packer, handed in his license from the Bishop of New Westminster. Not long before that, the church of which Packer attends, St. John's Shaughnessy Anglican church in Vancouver, voted to leave the Anglican Church of Canada because the St. John's church believed that the ACC is no longer teaching in accordance with scripture. The church later joined the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone of America.

What in the world does that have to do with me? Nothing much, but it is an interesting bit of religious trivia that is indicative of the shifts that take place in the name of doctrinal purity (or the lack thereof). Churches and people from around the world, in the name of aligning more perfectly with scripture move and shift at almost regular intervals. But why?

My thoughts on the subject: Because humans tend to move away from God, even the once best of redeemed communities of faith may also do the same; all in the name of Christian liberties and modern scriptural interpretation – namely religious relativism and the quest for cultural relevancy. All of which should bring about an apostolic chagrin to those of us who are leaders in the Church.

I’ve blogged about many things. I have many complaints and convoluted views. But the one thing that I’m most concerned with is biblical integrity, literacy and lifestyle. Frankly I don’t give a rip what everyone else is doing, what does the Bible have to say about it? If the Bible is silent, maybe I should be? If the Bible is clear about something, maybe I should be? That seems fundamental to me. Hmmm… does that make me a fundamentalist? I never really did like Jerry Falwell. I was a Democrat in the 1980’s so he would have hated me. But you’ve got to give him credit for being tenacious in his values.

If and when we find ourselves in opposition to the scripture may we take heed and repent. May we once again find common ground with the Apostles and Jesus; regardless of who we may offend!

Often a Parting of Company is necessary for the purity of ones faith. Is there someone or some church you need to Part Company with, in the name of doctrinal purity and faith?

Last thought: Most people in America don’t leave churches over doctrine. They’re usually just ticked off and hurt about something. I can understand that and I hope to be able to help people like that. But, oh that more people would leave churches over impurity in the pulpit and the lack of biblical core values in the congregation. That is worth a Parting of Company.

Love and Blessings… now go read Packer. You’ll be glad you did.

the POLICE

I borrowed the title to the last blog from the POLICE. YouTube the song King of Pain, then Google the lyrics. They're very curious in keeping with the discussion of pain.

Later and thanks Sting...

KING OF PAIN

Before I express my thoughts on Pain as a cause for sin, let me first cite the definition of pain as according to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

¹pain n 1: PUNISHMENT, PENALTY 2: suffering or distress of body or mind; also: a basic sensation caused by harmful stimuli and marked by discomfort (as throbbing or aching) 3 pl : CARE, TROUBLE.

²pain vb : to cause or experience pain.

At first for the discussion herein, I will use the word pain as a verb. My hypothesis being: a lie believed to be true, caused pain, which caused disobedience, resulting in sin. Sin separates us from God and sin without remedy results in eternal death. Sin can and often does cause all sorts of pain (used as a noun) which can ultimately result in an appeal to God to abate said pain, i.e. salvation (physical, emotional, spiritual, and eternal, etc.). But pain is not always a result of sin or deception, but is part of God’s created order by which He establishes boundaries between life and death, health and affliction.

In Genesis 1 we see God creating the cosmos as we know it (notwithstanding any of you old earth theorists). In Genesis 2 Adam and Eve are introduced to the habitation of earth, specifically Eden.

Any idea that would suggest that pain was not a part of the original creation, including our fore parents’ time of residence in Eden, would then have to subscribe to the idea that Adam and Eve had different nervous systems than we do today. I find it implausible because our human body systems rely on pain as an indicator, signal or trigger for boundary and protection. Pain is also part of the process of memory retention.

It seems apparent to me that the “tree of life” mentioned in 2:9b was not only to sustain their physical lives indefinitely (ergo the grace of isolating them from that source later in the narrative), but also as a plant nutrient that when applied to a wound or ailing body would bring accelerated healing (Revelation 2:7; 22:2). Unless one believes that Adam and Eve were supernaturally protected from injury or affliction. That is not necessarily apparent from the text.

So pain by this definition, we will use as a verb or a cause for enhanced security of each human being. In this case it is not a bad thing or the result of sin (yet). [Later in the Genesis narrative (3:16) we find an “increase” of pain during childbirth and physical labor, both after the fall, but pain was a part of their existence (based on the use of the word increase). Pain was to be “increased” because of the fall, indicating that was in existence before the fall. Both cause and consequence.]

But consider the introduction of a lie and things begin to change rapidly. Pain as part of God’s created order (being good) appears to be part of the human existence, but increase that pain by way of a lie, and present little to no abatement from that pain and humans tend to do whatever they need to do to alleviate that pain.

From Genesis 2:9 and beyond we can observe God defining pleasure versus pain. Verse 2:9b is actually the first clear delineation of the inclusion of good and evil. Prior to this only good is represented by God’s actions upon the creation process.

All of which appears to give way to the idea of pleasure versus pain; a clear indicator that these elements were already being part of the created order. Much like the fact of positive and negative ions in molecular structures, there were positives and negatives in all of life here on the earth. Even during the days of Eden.

Further God seems to define things as good versus what… evil. He even clearly defines the role of the one tree that was off limits. It is called the “tree of the knowledge of good and evil”. As you read through the narrative it becomes clear that God established boundaries and consequences, both of which the enemy will always lie about.

In Genesis 2:16-17a we see the first commandment given to humanity; “…you are free… but you must not…” In verse 17b we see a prophetic consequence; “…you will surely die…” In verse 18 we see the first definition or account of God stating a non-good condition or standing for humanity (only Adam at the time). Further we see God’s first recognition of a level of discomfort, pain or distress for man… i.e. alone is not good [that in itself is worthy of a blog]. So God provides a REMEDY for man’s “alone-ness” or loneliness.

INTRODUCTION OF THE LIE

In Genesis 3:1 we see the first vestiges of Satan’s strategies. Twist the truth. It’s kind of like the truth, but not. Craig Groeschel would call it “True-ish” (go to www.lifehurch.tv and you’ll find a great sermon series on “it”). “Did God REALLY say, ‘You must not eat from ANY tree in the garden.’?” (Capitalization mine).

At this point Satan was introducing a small and often hard to detect lie to test Eve’s sensitivities and loyalties to God and His truth.

In verse 3 we can observe that Eve’s simply knowing the truth of what God said, was not enough insurance from being deceived and overcome by temptation. “But God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you WILL DIE.’” (Capitalization mine).

By verse 4 of chapter 3 we see the full blown frontal attack of a lie being plied upon Eve. Thus beginning to compromise her faith and trust in God’s word and His provision. Bringing into question the idea that maybe there is something God is keeping from her. Bringing into question the idea that better and more pleasure is beyond God’s command. “You will not surely die.” Really?

In verse 5 the third lie is presented to Eve, thus sealing her doubt in God and introducing the idea that God is ripping her off and therefore producing pain or want in her. “For God knows that when you eat of it…” Satan implying that if she ate the fruit she could attain something she DID NOT already have.

Herein begins the process of pain birthed in the lie. Satan (through circumstances and even other people) will create a feeling of lack or deficit… the feeling that God is somehow withholding some good from us that we deserve… that He is ripping us off somehow! Thus producing a desire for something different that may be “better” than what one presently has at hand… pain. Oh you may not call it pain, but let feelings like this grow inside you and it will produce a pain and a void that you ultimately will attempt to satiate.

James tells us in 4:1-3 that our desires and wrong motives create enormous pressure on us which ultimately causes us to sin. If the enemy can produce some level of pain of want in us… we are well on our way to sinning against God, ourselves and others. Even in 1:14 he tells us that “evil desire” ultimately leads to sin and death. So how does the enemy stimulate evil desires within us? He introduces a lie which introduces some level of pain or discomfort, therefore we have desire to alleviate that pain. And when we do not obey God, regardless of the pain the lie produces, sin takes root and destroys everything.

Back to Genesis 3:6 we find Eve on the threshold of accepting Satan’s lie, that produces want, lust, desire, and ultimately pain. The enemy will do everything possible to utilize facts and truth, but with a slight twist to produce a feeling of lack in the hearts of humans. As a result we tend to embrace the lie that says “God, there must be something better… something that feels better than what I’m feeling right now.”

The fact that the enemy achieved his goal by causing Eve to believe the lie; “You have need to gain something and God is withholding it from you, so just take what you deserve,” was the beginning of the end for life as they knew it. And it was the beginning of a strategy that Satan has not yet rested from using against God’s children.

The problem of pain is introduced when we believe a lie to be true and the lie produces a sense or feeling of lack, deficit, void, need, want, desire etc. etc. all equating forms of PAIN. At this point our impulse is to eliminate that bad feeling or pain. And all too often, we seek to GAIN something that God has not ordained for us to rely upon, but because we believe the lie as truth… we act.

The saddest part about this whole process is it works. We buy it lock stock and barrel. Because of the way our pain sensors are designed (regardless if it’s physical, emotional or spiritual pain), we try to abate the pain. Even when we get temporary results, as soon as the pain returns, we tend to seek out the source that once helped alleviate the pain. All well and good until the pain returns and grows.

Pain as cause leads to pain as consequence, yet God in His redemptive plan uses pain as a foundation to launch His answer. Namely Jesus Christ and His Truth spoken to us.

So the next time I start to talk about people’s pain, don’t stop me just yet. Ask yourself if you’ve acted upon an impulse to alleviate some sort of pain in your life, which may not have been of God’s leading, but temporarily abated the feeling of pain. I know that I have and many other Christians find themselves doing the same thing. There are varying degrees of abatement used to alleviate feelings of pain (and varying degrees of consequences too), but nonetheless all are powerless to alleviate the original lie which ultimately causes PAIN to return and sin to be birthed.

I encourage you to consider these thoughts. We humans do all sorts of things in the name of pain relief (ask Dr. Jim Blessman what he did for many years in the pursuit of alleviating human pain and suffering), but there is only one thing that can and always will alleviate the pains of life caused by lies we believe to be true… and that is the Voice of the Living God speaking truth to the hearts of the deceived (all of us included).