13
May
Filters
I’m a scientist by occupation. We use filters for all kids of things. Sometimes it’s to keep what get’s trapped on the filter, and sometimes it’s to get rid of what you don’t want.
Filters come in all different shapes, sizes, and can be made to filter light or nanoparticles. It’s amazing what can happen to an experiment if a sample sees the wrong wavelength of light, or what happens to a material’s properties if some bad stuff isn’t removed. In short it can litterally fall apart or blow up.
In the church I often wonder if we forget just how valuable the filter can be. In our hurry to make as many people as we can “citizens of heaven” we forget to check their passports and visas. We fail to ask them hard questions, and demand lifestyle changes. We fail to follow up on failure and success. And as long as the numbers get bigger we excuse it all because surely God wouldn’t let us grow if we were doing it the wrong way.
Of course if we’re running the church more like GM then why wouldn’t he let it become a completely dysfunctional monumental failure.
Now, I fully believe that the church is meant to grow…and yes by the thousands in a day. However, I also believe that in many instances the church should be pruning 10 and 20 at a time as people who claim to be Christian become sexually immoral, greedy…”I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people. (1 Corinthians 5:9, New Living Translation)
Our filters at the front end should be asking people tough questions to ensure that they aren’t going to be standing in a Matthew 7 line. On the back end we need to have filters that help the church to continue to purify herself. When people choose to indulge in the sins mentioned it will be their casting out of the church that leads them to repentance. It’s a hard teaching, but in reality we are loving them by casting them out in hopes that they return repentant. Only then should we grant them the gift of fellowship. By letting them continue to fellowship without repentance could end up having eternal impact on them and on others within the body of Christ.
I think it is why we see such dramatic commands to deal with some sins in the nation of Israel. It’s also why God commands to kill every human. God knew that a little sin left without repentance could lead a whole nation astray.
We have a responsibility as leaders to make sure we are as devoting to growing the body as we are to protecting her.
1
Mar
Determining the will of God
“2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” – Romans 12
Often we are confronted with big decisions…decisions that will change the course of lives. In the passage above it seems our ability to discern God’s choice depends upon whether or not our minds have been renewed, which in turn transforms us.
When at these crossroads of life it is not only important to make sure we have been transformed, but it becomes equally important to discern if others, who will volunteer wisdom or who may even have a voice in the decision, have been and are being transformed by renewed minds.
When receiving wisdom or advice this should be my first question, “Is the wisdom being spoken from someone I perceive as being in the midst of transformation?” If the answer is no, then the wisdom must be set aside.
23
Feb
Words
My current reading plan jumps me around in the Bible quite a bit. I have a program that lets me develop my own. So, every day I read from four places in the Old Testament: law and history, Psalms, Proverbs, and the prophets. I read from two places in the New Testament: Gospels or Acts, and the Epistles.
Today, one of those random moments happened when some of my readings lined up. Psalm 18, Proverbs 4, Romans 10 and Matthew 12 all seemed to focus on the word, “word.” Psalm 18:30 says “the Word of the Lord is flawless.” Proverbs 4:4 regarding a father’s instruction to his sons, “Lay hold of my words with all your heart, my commands and you will live.” Jesus speaking in Matthew 12:36-37 says, “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” And finally there is Romans 10: 8-10 “But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
In this day of focus on being a more “missional” church, which I belive is important, we need not lose sight of the fact that while there may be truth in the addage, “deeds speak louder than words” it does not excuse the use of them. Words are important. What we say about who we are, about who we follow, about our neighbor, about our president, about our church, about our pastor, about our spouse, and about our children is held in high regard by God. For God knows that words can injure more deeply than any spear, and can empower even the weakest of people to do incredible things.
I find myself in complete opposition to St Francis of Assisi who said, “Preach the Gospel at all times – if necessary, use words.” I think a more biblical saying might be, “While living out the Gospel your words will prove to be an everlasting testimony.”
Let’s think about it in this way. My children may always remember that I never missed an important moment in their lives. Shelbi will remember that I watched her first Spelling Bee competition. Baili will remember that I attended her last soccer game. All three girls will remember that every Valentine’s Day I delivered a flower to them at school. However, I think those moments will be remembered in the context of the conversations I have had with my children in times of instruction, discipline, and encouragement. I would even venture to suggest that my children hold more dearly those conversations, and that my actions are only the icing on the cake.
In this post-modern era where the actions of God seem to be muted by the science of man His words become even more important. Words like, “I loved you while you were still a sinner. I loved you so much I sent my Son, Jesus, to die in your place.” I wonder who, today, might be waiting to hear those words?