As I was reading 1 Kings 13 today, I was genuinely confused. I understood what happened but I couldn't see much as to why things happened or the implications of people's actions and decisions. Usually, I just read some commentary and move on. Today, I decided to give it a rest and revisit the passage later. Well, the later was just now. I must say, when you seek wisdom and truth from God, He does not disappoint.
1 Kings 13
Summary: King Jeroboam was sacrificing to the false gods. A man of God came to the altar and rebuked the king and spoke prophecies that the Lord had shown him. King Jeroboam reached out to snag the man of God but his hand shriveled. Jeroboam asked for the man of God to intercede with the Lord and so that his hand could get healed, and it did.
God instructed to man of God to not eat or drink anything and to also not came back the way he came. Jeroboam offers him food but the man complies with the Lords instructions. An old, deceptive prophet finds the man of God and lies to him, saying that the Lord desired that he come back and eat-so the man did. The Lord killed the man of God and the old prophet turned to the Lord. King Jeroboam did not.
I'll start off by focusing on King Jeroboam. This man is genuinely living in sincere foolishness. Here's what I find interesting. He tried to kill the man of God and was thwarted when his hand shriveled. The man of God said that the altar at which Jeroboam was sacrificing would be split into two-and it split into two on the spot. In light of all of this, Jeroboam does not turn to the Lord. He merely sought the Lord's healing so that he could have a normal hand. How many times are we like Jeroboam in this case? We know the truth and righteousness of the Lord and yet when afflicted, we seek comfort, healing, or strength from the Lord? I think we can all say that Jeroboam was a fool but I would venture to say that when we seek things from the Lord, we are fools as well. We are instructed to seek the Lord, to seek His face and not His hand. His hand will come. When seeking the Lord, everything else will fall in line as we grow in our relationship with Him.
The other thing that I found interesting was the old prophet. I don't know what this guys motives were to deceive the man of the God but I will say this: He was deceitful and he pulled it off. He disguised himself as a man of God as well and spoke "words of the Lord". This is something that we need to be wary of in our own relationship with Christ. Books and speakers are awesome and all but they are no substitute for the actual word of God which contains the ultimate truth. Just because a speaker is some great guy or the author is some famous person does not necessarily mean that the words are those of truth and righteousness.
I know that my last blog was titled closing thoughts on sincerity but I couldn't help but find this passage also going back to the idea of being sincerely wrong. The man of God did what he thought was right. He knew that the Lord gave him instructs but the old prophet said that God gave a different set of instructions (which was a lie). The man of God did not know that he was doing wrong by eating food at the old prophet's house. He was sincere in his obedience and compliance to what he THOUGHT was the will of God. In actuality, God did not want him to eat from the old man's house and in fact instructed him not to. The old man was merely lying but for his disobedience, the man of God was killed. Don't become mistaken in walking down a path of sincerity but also ignorance and foolishness. Walk a path in which sincerity and the truth and wisdom of the Lord are mutually inclusive.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Closing Thoughts on Sincerity
On Friday, we watched a message from Voddie Baucham titled "A Warning to Insincere Worshipers" from the Passion: One Day Conference back in 2000. While the video was quite old, as noted by a much different style of dress, the message was still gripping and applicable as the truth in God's word is timeless. He spoke on Isaiah 1:10-15
10 Hear the word of the LORD,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the law of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
11 "The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?" says the LORD.
"I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your evil assemblies.
14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;
It's pretty clear in this passage that the Lord does not desire our actions in themselves. He desires our heart. He desires a genuine and sincere heart. I cannot agree more. The Christian life is not and never will be about merely our actions. The more important underlying factor is the source of our actions.
However, I believe that this message should have been marked with an asterisk, or Sincerity*. I am not saying that sincerity isn't required in our worship. Sincerity is demanded of us. Here's where I think the asterisk comes in: Sincerity in what?
I remember a time when I was back in third grade. We were taking a math test and the question talked about finding the perimeter of a square with a side length of 3. So naturally, this meant 3+3+3+3 or 12. Wanting to be cool, I decided to bust out my multiplication skills. So I thought to myself, 6+6 is 12 which means I need two 6's. Ok, so the answer is 6x6 and I wrote it down. Well, we all know (hopefully) that 6x6 is actually 36 and not 12. I had mixed up my multiplication. I was genuine and sincere in my answer, I really meant it. That does not change the fact that I was wrong.
Take this biblical example now. In 1 Samuel 15, God instructed Saul, the king of Israel at that time, to go and destroy the Amalekites. The instructions were clear: destroy EVERYTHING and take NOTHING. Saul then attacked the Amalekites. Rather than destroying everything, he took their king and the best of the livestock back to offer up to the Lord. When Saul offered his sacrifice, the Lord did not accept it. Saul was genuine in his offering and sincere as could be. However, he was misguided, incorrect, and straight up wrong in his sacrifice.
Here's the caveat of sincerity. We can be as sincere as we want but if we if we are sincerely wrong, all that sincerity was for naught. Sincerity is no excuse for ignorance. It doesn't matter how sincere or how genuine our motives are if we are living and doing things contrary to the will of God in which we learn through reading His word. It is not okay to say "Oh well, sorry God. I was sincere in my actions and I just didn't know that they offended you." Look at Saul. Saul was sincere and yet God said that he was "grieved that [He] made Saul king". This stresses the importance of knowing God and His will through spending time with Him. Yes, sincerity is an integral part of our worship. However, that sincerity needs to be coupled with the knowledge and obedience of the Lord's commands.
10 Hear the word of the LORD,
you rulers of Sodom;
listen to the law of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
11 "The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?" says the LORD.
"I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to appear before me,
who has asked this of you,
this trampling of my courts?
13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
I cannot bear your evil assemblies.
14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;
It's pretty clear in this passage that the Lord does not desire our actions in themselves. He desires our heart. He desires a genuine and sincere heart. I cannot agree more. The Christian life is not and never will be about merely our actions. The more important underlying factor is the source of our actions.
However, I believe that this message should have been marked with an asterisk, or Sincerity*. I am not saying that sincerity isn't required in our worship. Sincerity is demanded of us. Here's where I think the asterisk comes in: Sincerity in what?
I remember a time when I was back in third grade. We were taking a math test and the question talked about finding the perimeter of a square with a side length of 3. So naturally, this meant 3+3+3+3 or 12. Wanting to be cool, I decided to bust out my multiplication skills. So I thought to myself, 6+6 is 12 which means I need two 6's. Ok, so the answer is 6x6 and I wrote it down. Well, we all know (hopefully) that 6x6 is actually 36 and not 12. I had mixed up my multiplication. I was genuine and sincere in my answer, I really meant it. That does not change the fact that I was wrong.
Take this biblical example now. In 1 Samuel 15, God instructed Saul, the king of Israel at that time, to go and destroy the Amalekites. The instructions were clear: destroy EVERYTHING and take NOTHING. Saul then attacked the Amalekites. Rather than destroying everything, he took their king and the best of the livestock back to offer up to the Lord. When Saul offered his sacrifice, the Lord did not accept it. Saul was genuine in his offering and sincere as could be. However, he was misguided, incorrect, and straight up wrong in his sacrifice.
Here's the caveat of sincerity. We can be as sincere as we want but if we if we are sincerely wrong, all that sincerity was for naught. Sincerity is no excuse for ignorance. It doesn't matter how sincere or how genuine our motives are if we are living and doing things contrary to the will of God in which we learn through reading His word. It is not okay to say "Oh well, sorry God. I was sincere in my actions and I just didn't know that they offended you." Look at Saul. Saul was sincere and yet God said that he was "grieved that [He] made Saul king". This stresses the importance of knowing God and His will through spending time with Him. Yes, sincerity is an integral part of our worship. However, that sincerity needs to be coupled with the knowledge and obedience of the Lord's commands.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Sometimes the Hardest Thing and the Right Thing Are the Same
Convenience. We live in a society filled with convenience. These days, we don't even have to leave our homes to get what we want. We can call and order food. We can buy groceries online. Instead of going out and buying a book, we can buy the e-book online. We love convenience. Another example of convenience is Las Vegas. There, we can get a glimpse of internationally acclaimed attractions like pyramids and the Eiffel Tower. In this case, convenience skews reality. People marvel at the sight of such things. Yes, it's convenient to go to Vegas and get an all in one tour of the world. However, it's not real. The Eiffel Tower in Vegas pales in comparison to the real thing.
1 Kings 12:25-33.
This Jeroboam guy, the guy that craftily and opportunistically took the throne from Rehoboam was quite cunning. He knew that he would lose control if the Israelites turned back to God and worshiped Him. In Jewish culture, the men were required to travel to the temple in Jerusalem three times a year. So to undermine this, Jeroboam built golden calves. One was located at Bethel, a town 10 miles north of Jerusalem on a highly trafficked road. The other was built at Dan, the northernmost city in Israel.
Jeroboam played this off like a act of love to his people. "It is too much or you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel." Here's the nutty part. After all that God had done for the Israelites, they quickly forgot and worshiped these calves! Part of the reason? It was so much easier to go to these calves than to go to Jerusalem. In their convenience, they neglected the Lord and His command to not worship false idols.
To think, the Israelites must have been saying "Wow, worshiping these new Gods is so much easier than worshiping the old God. I like this better." They were lulled into sinning and thinking that the convenient and yet totally fake god was better than the Lord. The people that once worshiped God were now caught in a false reality fostered by convenience.
Now here's a real question: how often do we do this? For the sake of our convenience, how often do we neglect the Lord and His commands? Just because it might be easier for us to follow something that is contrary to what God desires does not make it better nor does it make it the right thing to do. We shouldn't live for convenience. We shouldn't even live to see the fruit of our results and to feel all warm and fuzzy about it afterward. Even when doing the right thing is hard, do it anyway. The reward that we live for is greater than any consolation of doing things the easy and yet an non-glorifying way. Our reward is in heaven, not on earth.
Keep fighting the good fight!
1 Timothy 6:11-16
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
1 Kings 12:25-33.
This Jeroboam guy, the guy that craftily and opportunistically took the throne from Rehoboam was quite cunning. He knew that he would lose control if the Israelites turned back to God and worshiped Him. In Jewish culture, the men were required to travel to the temple in Jerusalem three times a year. So to undermine this, Jeroboam built golden calves. One was located at Bethel, a town 10 miles north of Jerusalem on a highly trafficked road. The other was built at Dan, the northernmost city in Israel.
Jeroboam played this off like a act of love to his people. "It is too much or you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel." Here's the nutty part. After all that God had done for the Israelites, they quickly forgot and worshiped these calves! Part of the reason? It was so much easier to go to these calves than to go to Jerusalem. In their convenience, they neglected the Lord and His command to not worship false idols.
To think, the Israelites must have been saying "Wow, worshiping these new Gods is so much easier than worshiping the old God. I like this better." They were lulled into sinning and thinking that the convenient and yet totally fake god was better than the Lord. The people that once worshiped God were now caught in a false reality fostered by convenience.
Now here's a real question: how often do we do this? For the sake of our convenience, how often do we neglect the Lord and His commands? Just because it might be easier for us to follow something that is contrary to what God desires does not make it better nor does it make it the right thing to do. We shouldn't live for convenience. We shouldn't even live to see the fruit of our results and to feel all warm and fuzzy about it afterward. Even when doing the right thing is hard, do it anyway. The reward that we live for is greater than any consolation of doing things the easy and yet an non-glorifying way. Our reward is in heaven, not on earth.
Keep fighting the good fight!
1 Timothy 6:11-16
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
Conflict, Consensus, and Foolishness
Jeremiah 17:5-9
5 This is what the LORD says:
"Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength
and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands;
he will not see prosperity when it comes.
He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.
7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit."
9 The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
The message of this passage ties in very much with what I read in 1 Kings the other day. Rehoboam turned from the Lord and consulted with his peers. All together, they came up with a plan of action on how Rehoboam should rule the Israelites: with an iron fist. Well, things turned out poorly and Rehoboam lost the throne. Wait, what's going on? Even though the majority agreed upon an idea, they were wrong? Yes, they were wrong. In fact, they were fools.
Here's the problem: they listened to the wisdom of man and not the Lord's. As it says in 1 Corinthians 3:19 "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness";". Ultimately, we're a bunch of sad and pathetic fools who know a lot less than we think we do. We are people of pride and 'wisdom', which in reality is a boat of foolishness.
This happens so often when we find ourselves in tight situations. We rely upon our own 'wisdom' to get us out of situations. We use our logic to dig ourselves out of holes, to recover and set our feet upon solid group. We compromise God's commands for our perceived best interest as we listen to our hearts. However, in Jeremiah 17:9, God describes our hearts as deceitful beyond cure! Knowing that our hearts are deceitful, how then can we listen to it?
Listen to the Lord. He is truly wise. Not only so but this passage also notes that those who listen to the Lord and find their confidence in Him are blessed. When in a pinch and in a hectic situation, don't listen to your heart but seek guidance from the Lord.
I think a classic example of this is David (before he became king) while he was running away from Saul. He had the opportunity to take matters into his own hands and kill Saul as they were unknowingly in the same cave. David realized the foolishness of living outside the will of God and wisely abided by the command not to murder. While this did not end his problem as Saul foolishly pursued David pretty much until death, David honored the Lord through his circumstances. Not only so, but we also see that God delivered David, killed Saul, and placed David on the throne.
The Lord alone is wise. Here's the cool part though. He offers us his wisdom.
James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James goes on even further in James 3:17 to describe such wisdom in that the "wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere."
5 This is what the LORD says:
"Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength
and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands;
he will not see prosperity when it comes.
He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.
7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit."
9 The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
The message of this passage ties in very much with what I read in 1 Kings the other day. Rehoboam turned from the Lord and consulted with his peers. All together, they came up with a plan of action on how Rehoboam should rule the Israelites: with an iron fist. Well, things turned out poorly and Rehoboam lost the throne. Wait, what's going on? Even though the majority agreed upon an idea, they were wrong? Yes, they were wrong. In fact, they were fools.
Here's the problem: they listened to the wisdom of man and not the Lord's. As it says in 1 Corinthians 3:19 "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness";". Ultimately, we're a bunch of sad and pathetic fools who know a lot less than we think we do. We are people of pride and 'wisdom', which in reality is a boat of foolishness.
This happens so often when we find ourselves in tight situations. We rely upon our own 'wisdom' to get us out of situations. We use our logic to dig ourselves out of holes, to recover and set our feet upon solid group. We compromise God's commands for our perceived best interest as we listen to our hearts. However, in Jeremiah 17:9, God describes our hearts as deceitful beyond cure! Knowing that our hearts are deceitful, how then can we listen to it?
Listen to the Lord. He is truly wise. Not only so but this passage also notes that those who listen to the Lord and find their confidence in Him are blessed. When in a pinch and in a hectic situation, don't listen to your heart but seek guidance from the Lord.
I think a classic example of this is David (before he became king) while he was running away from Saul. He had the opportunity to take matters into his own hands and kill Saul as they were unknowingly in the same cave. David realized the foolishness of living outside the will of God and wisely abided by the command not to murder. While this did not end his problem as Saul foolishly pursued David pretty much until death, David honored the Lord through his circumstances. Not only so, but we also see that God delivered David, killed Saul, and placed David on the throne.
The Lord alone is wise. Here's the cool part though. He offers us his wisdom.
James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." James goes on even further in James 3:17 to describe such wisdom in that the "wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere."
Friday, February 26, 2010
Not Just a Pharisee but an Israelite As Well.
When reading the new testament, it really sucks when think a little bit deeper and realize that you are pharisee. When reading the old testament, I think "Man, those Israelites are really stupid", only to realize that I am an Israelite.
1 Kings 12:1-24
In summary: Solomon dies and his son, Rehoboam takes over as king. The people presents a request to Rehoboam that he might lighten the harsh labor placed upon them. Rehoboam consults the elders and rejects their advice to serve the people. He consults his contemporaries and decides that their advice is best. Instead of serving the people, he oppresses the people. The people complain and drive him out of town and elect Jeroboam as the next king.
A few points
+Rehoboam is a clear fool. Unlike David and Solomon, he did not take any of this up to God prior to consulting people. He did not pray or plead with the Lord for guidance. The wisdom of man is the Lord's foolishness.
+Granted, the Lord doesn't always come down and smack us over the forehead with answers but speaks through people. Well, Rehoboam rejected them as well when he listened to his peers instead of the elders.
+Rehoboam was self-seeking. Instead of doing what was best for his people, he did what was best for himself. As leaders, especially in ministry, our needs and desires come after God's. To fast forward, this is essentially the life and ministry of Christ: placing our best interest above His own and serving us in love, providing a way to eternity with the Father. We are called to imitate Christ so in the same way, our community's needs ought to be of higher priority than our self-interest.
+When the Israelites cried out, it was to David, pleading for him to protect his own house. Their unity was found in David, a mere human. As Christians, we need to avoid this sense of association and unity under a certain leader. Our allegiance should not with any person or thing on this earth but under God himself.
+This is exactly what God promised Solomon back in 1 Kings 11. As Solomon did not keep his covenant with the Lord, the Lord said that he would tear the kingdom out Solomon's son's hands. We often forget that God is not only loving but also just. While we are not ultimately condemned for our actions, there are consequences.
I note all of these things with a bit of a cringe. I was so quick to say "Man, stupid Israelites". But man, I'm guilty of almost all of these things.
1 Kings 12:1-24
In summary: Solomon dies and his son, Rehoboam takes over as king. The people presents a request to Rehoboam that he might lighten the harsh labor placed upon them. Rehoboam consults the elders and rejects their advice to serve the people. He consults his contemporaries and decides that their advice is best. Instead of serving the people, he oppresses the people. The people complain and drive him out of town and elect Jeroboam as the next king.
A few points
+Rehoboam is a clear fool. Unlike David and Solomon, he did not take any of this up to God prior to consulting people. He did not pray or plead with the Lord for guidance. The wisdom of man is the Lord's foolishness.
+Granted, the Lord doesn't always come down and smack us over the forehead with answers but speaks through people. Well, Rehoboam rejected them as well when he listened to his peers instead of the elders.
+Rehoboam was self-seeking. Instead of doing what was best for his people, he did what was best for himself. As leaders, especially in ministry, our needs and desires come after God's. To fast forward, this is essentially the life and ministry of Christ: placing our best interest above His own and serving us in love, providing a way to eternity with the Father. We are called to imitate Christ so in the same way, our community's needs ought to be of higher priority than our self-interest.
+When the Israelites cried out, it was to David, pleading for him to protect his own house. Their unity was found in David, a mere human. As Christians, we need to avoid this sense of association and unity under a certain leader. Our allegiance should not with any person or thing on this earth but under God himself.
+This is exactly what God promised Solomon back in 1 Kings 11. As Solomon did not keep his covenant with the Lord, the Lord said that he would tear the kingdom out Solomon's son's hands. We often forget that God is not only loving but also just. While we are not ultimately condemned for our actions, there are consequences.
I note all of these things with a bit of a cringe. I was so quick to say "Man, stupid Israelites". But man, I'm guilty of almost all of these things.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Gossip and the Church
Christians don't gossip, they just pray. That's the running joke anyway. I think that God has been constantly revealing the condition of my heart. One thing that I greatly struggle with is gossip. I am rarely the instigator of it all. However, at the smell of first blood, I jump right in. Did you know that so and so did this? Oh yeah, I heard about that.
Here's the strange thing about gossip. Even though by reputation gossip is full of lies, it can be full of truth as well. I used to feel justified talking about people if everything I said was true. Man, person x isn't pulling their weight in this group project. This person's so lazy and unorganized. While everything may be true, the question then lies not in the validity of the statement but in the motives behind it. Why am I talking about this information? Is it even relevant to anything else that's going on? Is it out of love or out of spite?
Back to the original statement: "Christian's don't gossip, they just pray." I, for one, am partly guilty of this as well. Hey, did you hear that person x is going through this? Let's pray for that person! Well, what if person x didn't want his life to be a public display for the church? I don't deny that prayer is a powerful thing as is group prayer but sometimes people just don't want everyone knowing their business. Let's say my intent was genuine and out of love and that I don't struggle with gossip. Suppose I were to share that prayer request with a group of people that struggle with gossip. I'm at fault for leading my brothers and sisters into the temptation to gossip by sharing such information.
Regardless of the way gossip manifests itself, either through random speech or organized prayer, it is still a sin. Like all other sins, it places a separation between us and the God that loves us so dearly. Not only so, but it also places a barrier between us and others in the church and the community. What kind of person is going to want to go to a church in which he is talked about behind his back? What kind of witnesses are we if the world observes our foolish talk?
If any of you catch me gossiping, call me out on it. I would greatly appreciate it as I am continuing to strive to be more like Christ. While these are the convictions upon my heart, I also hope that they are the convictions upon yours as well. The Bible clearly mandates that we ought not to gossip. It would be awesome if you could all join with me in this in fostering a more God-honoring and welcoming community.
Here's the strange thing about gossip. Even though by reputation gossip is full of lies, it can be full of truth as well. I used to feel justified talking about people if everything I said was true. Man, person x isn't pulling their weight in this group project. This person's so lazy and unorganized. While everything may be true, the question then lies not in the validity of the statement but in the motives behind it. Why am I talking about this information? Is it even relevant to anything else that's going on? Is it out of love or out of spite?
Back to the original statement: "Christian's don't gossip, they just pray." I, for one, am partly guilty of this as well. Hey, did you hear that person x is going through this? Let's pray for that person! Well, what if person x didn't want his life to be a public display for the church? I don't deny that prayer is a powerful thing as is group prayer but sometimes people just don't want everyone knowing their business. Let's say my intent was genuine and out of love and that I don't struggle with gossip. Suppose I were to share that prayer request with a group of people that struggle with gossip. I'm at fault for leading my brothers and sisters into the temptation to gossip by sharing such information.
Regardless of the way gossip manifests itself, either through random speech or organized prayer, it is still a sin. Like all other sins, it places a separation between us and the God that loves us so dearly. Not only so, but it also places a barrier between us and others in the church and the community. What kind of person is going to want to go to a church in which he is talked about behind his back? What kind of witnesses are we if the world observes our foolish talk?
If any of you catch me gossiping, call me out on it. I would greatly appreciate it as I am continuing to strive to be more like Christ. While these are the convictions upon my heart, I also hope that they are the convictions upon yours as well. The Bible clearly mandates that we ought not to gossip. It would be awesome if you could all join with me in this in fostering a more God-honoring and welcoming community.
Monday, February 22, 2010
The God That Promises
1 Kings 10
Back in 1 Kings 3, God offered to give Solomon anything that he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom and God gave him that. Pleased by his inquiry, God promised Solomon more than just wisdom but both riches and honor as well. Immediately after that, we saw how God gave Solomon wisdom as there are examples of how he handled difficult situations. Other than the temple and palace's construction, we see little of the wealth and honor up until now.
In chapter 10, the queen of Sheba visited Solomon as his reputation has extended to other kingdoms as well. The queen was taken aback by what she saw when she met Solomon. It says that she "came to test him with hard questions." and that in her report "not even half was told". That's how much God blessed Solomon. He had a great reputation but who God blessed him to be even far exceeded his reputation. The rest of the chapter continues to marvel at his wealth.
We all know that God keeps His promises. Sometimes knowing and believing are two different things. When life comes knocking at our door, how quickly we forget the promises of God! He promises us eternal life and never to leave of forsake us. Passages like 1 Kings 10 just help reassure me of who God is. His word is good. Unlike us, if God promises something,it will happen. Live in the knowledge of God and His promises. It'll make all the difference.
Back in 1 Kings 3, God offered to give Solomon anything that he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom and God gave him that. Pleased by his inquiry, God promised Solomon more than just wisdom but both riches and honor as well. Immediately after that, we saw how God gave Solomon wisdom as there are examples of how he handled difficult situations. Other than the temple and palace's construction, we see little of the wealth and honor up until now.
In chapter 10, the queen of Sheba visited Solomon as his reputation has extended to other kingdoms as well. The queen was taken aback by what she saw when she met Solomon. It says that she "came to test him with hard questions." and that in her report "not even half was told". That's how much God blessed Solomon. He had a great reputation but who God blessed him to be even far exceeded his reputation. The rest of the chapter continues to marvel at his wealth.
We all know that God keeps His promises. Sometimes knowing and believing are two different things. When life comes knocking at our door, how quickly we forget the promises of God! He promises us eternal life and never to leave of forsake us. Passages like 1 Kings 10 just help reassure me of who God is. His word is good. Unlike us, if God promises something,it will happen. Live in the knowledge of God and His promises. It'll make all the difference.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Hypocrisy...
Recently, I was confronted about having a sour attitude towards something. During that confrontation, everything that the person said was true and honest. Truth and honestly is okay, right? Well, maybe...
When talking to someone, what's your motive? Is it to glorify yourself as you compare yourself to that person or is it for the person's genuine good? Is their best interest in mind or is the conversation marked with self-interest? The Pharisees were the best at this. They built a reputation of glorifying themselves and making themselves look holy as they pointed fingers at sinners and scoffed. There was no love in those exchanges, just a lot of pride and an improper value of self-worth.
In my conversation, I felt the fingers being pointed as the conversation was a "shame on you, you miserable sinner" conversation. I don't deny that my attitude was sour but something in my heart was just so opposed to listening to a single word in that conversation. I felt attacked personally. I felt myself being looked down up. I didn't want to act.
The more I thought about it, the more foolish I felt. Okay, so maybe I was wronged. Big deal...the fact of the matter is that my attitude was still improper. I was on the verge of letting my pride prevent me from honoring God just because the message was relayed in a less than biblical way. Man, for someone that was so anger about others not being humble, I'm not too humble myself..
When talking to someone, what's your motive? Is it to glorify yourself as you compare yourself to that person or is it for the person's genuine good? Is their best interest in mind or is the conversation marked with self-interest? The Pharisees were the best at this. They built a reputation of glorifying themselves and making themselves look holy as they pointed fingers at sinners and scoffed. There was no love in those exchanges, just a lot of pride and an improper value of self-worth.
In my conversation, I felt the fingers being pointed as the conversation was a "shame on you, you miserable sinner" conversation. I don't deny that my attitude was sour but something in my heart was just so opposed to listening to a single word in that conversation. I felt attacked personally. I felt myself being looked down up. I didn't want to act.
The more I thought about it, the more foolish I felt. Okay, so maybe I was wronged. Big deal...the fact of the matter is that my attitude was still improper. I was on the verge of letting my pride prevent me from honoring God just because the message was relayed in a less than biblical way. Man, for someone that was so anger about others not being humble, I'm not too humble myself..
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Reflections
The following is a testimony not of my own strength and goodness but a testimony of the power of the Holy Spirit. The events of this testimony date back to Wednesday February 10th. Last week, I opened my mailbox to find a letter from Purdue University. With my credentials, I was expecting it to be an invitation for an interview with the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. When I opened it, I was appalled. It was indeed a letter from the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences but it was not the one that I was expecting. Written on this letter was "...your application...has not been approved".
When I read this, I was not overcome with grief or anger. While disappointed and confused, a sense of peace lay upon my heart. That peace was soon followed by a joy. It was quite fitting that the bible study on Friday talked about happiness and joy. Clearly, I was not happy in this situation as happiness is highly circumstantial. However, the joy that I felt was not in the fact that I got rejected nor was it in the fact that this letter was essentially a one way ticket back to Chicago for the Fall 2010 semester. My joy was found in the knowledge of who God is and His promises. I know that God is sovereign and that nothing can hinder His will. I know that God is calling the shots in my life and no matter how unpleasant they seem at the time, His plan has my best interest written all over it. And most important, I know that this place is not my home. The things of the world fade instantaneously and without warning but God and His kingdom will reign victoriously and gloriously over this earth for eternity.
The rest of that day was quite strange. I'm not going to pretend that the letter didn't affect me. It was impossible to read that letter, collect myself, and take my organic chemistry exam. But by the grace and strength of God, I was able to do such things. Throughout it all, my heart did not despair but rather, it sang praises to God the entire night. I don't think I've ever been filled by the Spirit in that manner before. In circumstances that should have had me broken, I had a joy that could not be contained.
This joy manifested itself in my conversations with my friends that night and proved to be an opportunity to both share and express my faith. When my friends heard about my circumstances, they were more angry and upset than I was. Many of them used explicative language to describe my situation showing genuine anger towards Purdue which is understandable. I know that it is within my nature to do this as well as I have done it in the past. For some reason, my heart was completely calm. Instead of joining in with the anger, I responded in humility with quietness and grace. I admitted my shortcomings and wished them the best moving forward in their studies. My friends noticed this as many of them noted how surprised they were by my calm and graceful reaction. My reaction even allowed me to talk about Christianity with another friend. I know that this calmness and grace were not of myself but by the Holy Spirit living within me.
I don't know where I will be next semester. The fact that I will be transitioning away from Purdue and to a new place both saddens and scares me. I am truly thankful for the time that I was given here at Purdue. Many of my friends said that I "wasted my time taking all of the hard pharmacy courses." While I did not achieve the result that I wanted, by no means was it a waste of time. God placed me in a position to pursue a superb education. While it sucked, I realized how blessed I am to be able to study organic chemistry and anatomy within Purdue's pharmacy school, the second best pharmacy school in the nation. Through it all, God humbled me, taught me what it meant to glorify Him through my work, and showed me what it means to have faith in the unseen.
I know that this next chapter in my life will be both exciting and nerve racking at the same time. However, I know this as well. God is faithful. The God that created the universe in its glorious perfection and had a plan for the redemption of mankind since the beginning has watched over me and blessed me the entire life. This same God will continue to direct my paths and lead me in becoming more like Him as I move forward as well. There is nothing to fear as God is in control. Give thanks to the LORD for He is good. His love endures forever.
When I read this, I was not overcome with grief or anger. While disappointed and confused, a sense of peace lay upon my heart. That peace was soon followed by a joy. It was quite fitting that the bible study on Friday talked about happiness and joy. Clearly, I was not happy in this situation as happiness is highly circumstantial. However, the joy that I felt was not in the fact that I got rejected nor was it in the fact that this letter was essentially a one way ticket back to Chicago for the Fall 2010 semester. My joy was found in the knowledge of who God is and His promises. I know that God is sovereign and that nothing can hinder His will. I know that God is calling the shots in my life and no matter how unpleasant they seem at the time, His plan has my best interest written all over it. And most important, I know that this place is not my home. The things of the world fade instantaneously and without warning but God and His kingdom will reign victoriously and gloriously over this earth for eternity.
The rest of that day was quite strange. I'm not going to pretend that the letter didn't affect me. It was impossible to read that letter, collect myself, and take my organic chemistry exam. But by the grace and strength of God, I was able to do such things. Throughout it all, my heart did not despair but rather, it sang praises to God the entire night. I don't think I've ever been filled by the Spirit in that manner before. In circumstances that should have had me broken, I had a joy that could not be contained.
This joy manifested itself in my conversations with my friends that night and proved to be an opportunity to both share and express my faith. When my friends heard about my circumstances, they were more angry and upset than I was. Many of them used explicative language to describe my situation showing genuine anger towards Purdue which is understandable. I know that it is within my nature to do this as well as I have done it in the past. For some reason, my heart was completely calm. Instead of joining in with the anger, I responded in humility with quietness and grace. I admitted my shortcomings and wished them the best moving forward in their studies. My friends noticed this as many of them noted how surprised they were by my calm and graceful reaction. My reaction even allowed me to talk about Christianity with another friend. I know that this calmness and grace were not of myself but by the Holy Spirit living within me.
I don't know where I will be next semester. The fact that I will be transitioning away from Purdue and to a new place both saddens and scares me. I am truly thankful for the time that I was given here at Purdue. Many of my friends said that I "wasted my time taking all of the hard pharmacy courses." While I did not achieve the result that I wanted, by no means was it a waste of time. God placed me in a position to pursue a superb education. While it sucked, I realized how blessed I am to be able to study organic chemistry and anatomy within Purdue's pharmacy school, the second best pharmacy school in the nation. Through it all, God humbled me, taught me what it meant to glorify Him through my work, and showed me what it means to have faith in the unseen.
I know that this next chapter in my life will be both exciting and nerve racking at the same time. However, I know this as well. God is faithful. The God that created the universe in its glorious perfection and had a plan for the redemption of mankind since the beginning has watched over me and blessed me the entire life. This same God will continue to direct my paths and lead me in becoming more like Him as I move forward as well. There is nothing to fear as God is in control. Give thanks to the LORD for He is good. His love endures forever.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
1 Kings 3:16-28
1 Kings 3:16-28
Back to Solomon. The more I thought about what I read yesterday, the more I began to think about my own prayers. Solomon didn't pray that God would make him a good leader. He prayed more specifically: give me discernment to be a good leader. So God gave him that wisdom. He also gave him opportunities.
This is where it picks up from the section that I read today. Solomon had the opportunity to display the wisdom that God gave him and he did when two women came to him fighting over a child. Each one claimed that the child was hers. God not only changes us when we ask Him to change our character so that it is more like Him but He also gives us opportunities to use those blessings to glorify and honor Him. In the context of this story, Solomon used his wisdom to bless the actual mother of the child by proving which one was the mother and also glorified God through the situation by ruling with integrity and wisdom.
So I might not be king and I may never have to do a paternity case. However, God has blessed me in so many ways. Much like Solomon, it is now my turn to be a good steward of those blessings and to use them to bless others and glorify the one who gave them to me. In essence, I'm blessed to bless others and to glorify our God.
Back to Solomon. The more I thought about what I read yesterday, the more I began to think about my own prayers. Solomon didn't pray that God would make him a good leader. He prayed more specifically: give me discernment to be a good leader. So God gave him that wisdom. He also gave him opportunities.
This is where it picks up from the section that I read today. Solomon had the opportunity to display the wisdom that God gave him and he did when two women came to him fighting over a child. Each one claimed that the child was hers. God not only changes us when we ask Him to change our character so that it is more like Him but He also gives us opportunities to use those blessings to glorify and honor Him. In the context of this story, Solomon used his wisdom to bless the actual mother of the child by proving which one was the mother and also glorified God through the situation by ruling with integrity and wisdom.
So I might not be king and I may never have to do a paternity case. However, God has blessed me in so many ways. Much like Solomon, it is now my turn to be a good steward of those blessings and to use them to bless others and glorify the one who gave them to me. In essence, I'm blessed to bless others and to glorify our God.
Monday, February 8, 2010
1 Kings 3:1-15
Man, this passage is so cool.
I want to focus on the events of Solomon's dream in v5-15. The Lord appeared to Solomon and told him to "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." Solomon didn't ask for power, wealth, safety, or comfort. Solomon asks for God's wisdom and a "discerning heart" to be able to be a God-honoring leader. Solomon could have asked for ANYTHING. He put God's will before his own needs. If God were to ask me this, I feel like a lot of my answers would be a bit selfish. What I pray and what my heart actually wants are on a different note sometimes. I pray for God to allow me to surrender my will to Him but if He were to say ask me for whatever I want, I'd say pharmacy school.
God's response is pretty sweet too. God gave Solomon wisdom and more than Solomon could have imagined: riches and honor. If only I could have that outlook as well. I'm not saying that turning to God and seeking His will first will lead to wealth and riches. The whole "prosperity gospel" sham is a bit on the bogus side. But I know this: Our God is a God who provides according to our needs and our best interest. Solomon wasn't concerned about everything else. He just wanted the wisdom and mind of God. He got it and God blessed him in abundance. Instead of seeking this world and all that is in it, seek God first. Let Him take care of the rest.
I want to focus on the events of Solomon's dream in v5-15. The Lord appeared to Solomon and told him to "Ask for whatever you want me to give you." Solomon didn't ask for power, wealth, safety, or comfort. Solomon asks for God's wisdom and a "discerning heart" to be able to be a God-honoring leader. Solomon could have asked for ANYTHING. He put God's will before his own needs. If God were to ask me this, I feel like a lot of my answers would be a bit selfish. What I pray and what my heart actually wants are on a different note sometimes. I pray for God to allow me to surrender my will to Him but if He were to say ask me for whatever I want, I'd say pharmacy school.
God's response is pretty sweet too. God gave Solomon wisdom and more than Solomon could have imagined: riches and honor. If only I could have that outlook as well. I'm not saying that turning to God and seeking His will first will lead to wealth and riches. The whole "prosperity gospel" sham is a bit on the bogus side. But I know this: Our God is a God who provides according to our needs and our best interest. Solomon wasn't concerned about everything else. He just wanted the wisdom and mind of God. He got it and God blessed him in abundance. Instead of seeking this world and all that is in it, seek God first. Let Him take care of the rest.
Do You Remember?
Romans 2:5a "Remember the height from which you have fallen!"
I remember. At least now I do anyway. For various reasons, I have been unable to focus on my studies today. Instead of wasting my time sitting on ESPN.com, I decided to clean out my computer. Man, the stuff that I found...
I don't remember much about life back in my senior year in high school or even my freshman year of college when I first got my laptop. I remember the things that happened but I don't remember my feelings and thoughts behind it all. I found so very dark journal entries on my computer talking about a lack of confidence and a distaste towards life. I defined my self-worth by my accomplishments: grades, stuff, and friends.
Times have changed. I'm not a perfect person and I acknowledge that. No longer do I define myself by such criteria and yet I find that I have gained it all. It is ironic to see that once I turned towards God, everything else fell into place. That is not to say that living for God will make life on Earth comfortable but I believe that it is due to a change in perspective. I view myself not as the sum of my accomplishments but as a sinner caught in the grace of a just but merciful and gracious God.
Remember the height from which you have fallen. As I reminisce, I thank and praise God for bringing me to the place that I am now. I am not perfect but He has picked me up out of my grave and set my feet upon solid ground. Thank you God.
I remember. At least now I do anyway. For various reasons, I have been unable to focus on my studies today. Instead of wasting my time sitting on ESPN.com, I decided to clean out my computer. Man, the stuff that I found...
I don't remember much about life back in my senior year in high school or even my freshman year of college when I first got my laptop. I remember the things that happened but I don't remember my feelings and thoughts behind it all. I found so very dark journal entries on my computer talking about a lack of confidence and a distaste towards life. I defined my self-worth by my accomplishments: grades, stuff, and friends.
Times have changed. I'm not a perfect person and I acknowledge that. No longer do I define myself by such criteria and yet I find that I have gained it all. It is ironic to see that once I turned towards God, everything else fell into place. That is not to say that living for God will make life on Earth comfortable but I believe that it is due to a change in perspective. I view myself not as the sum of my accomplishments but as a sinner caught in the grace of a just but merciful and gracious God.
Remember the height from which you have fallen. As I reminisce, I thank and praise God for bringing me to the place that I am now. I am not perfect but He has picked me up out of my grave and set my feet upon solid ground. Thank you God.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
1 Kings 2
I'm honestly not too sure what to take away from this passage. In essence, King Solomon establishes his rule as the king over Israel. In the process, he strikes down many that unjustly oppose him and those that have personal agendas. Adonijah, David's other son, still wanted the throne that was rightfully Solomon's. He made a request to marry Abishag, David's "live-in" nurse, but was too cowardly to approach Solomon himself. He asked Solomon's mother to make the request and she did. Eventually, Adonijah paid his life for such a request.
I honestly don't know how I go on and apply this story. Honestly, that's all it seems like, a mere story. I'm guessing that this sets up later events. I sure hope so. I'll keep reading to see if I can find anything.
I'm honestly not too sure what to take away from this passage. In essence, King Solomon establishes his rule as the king over Israel. In the process, he strikes down many that unjustly oppose him and those that have personal agendas. Adonijah, David's other son, still wanted the throne that was rightfully Solomon's. He made a request to marry Abishag, David's "live-in" nurse, but was too cowardly to approach Solomon himself. He asked Solomon's mother to make the request and she did. Eventually, Adonijah paid his life for such a request.
I honestly don't know how I go on and apply this story. Honestly, that's all it seems like, a mere story. I'm guessing that this sets up later events. I sure hope so. I'll keep reading to see if I can find anything.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Tim Tebow
I need to be more like Tim Tebow. I'm not talking about Tim Tebow the football player. I'm talking about Tim Tebow the shamlessly bold and faithful Christian. For those of you that don't follow sports, let me quickly mention his accolades from the past four years. *
2006 season
SEC All-Freshman Team[69]
SEC Freshman of the Week[70]
2007
Walter Camp Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week[71]
Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week, three times[72][73][74]
Davey O'Brien Award winner[75]
Heisman Trophy winner
Maxwell Award winner[75]
Walter Camp Award finalist[76]
Sporting News Player of the Year
Harley Award winner
NCAA QB of the Year[77]
ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American football team[78]
Manning Award finalist[78]
Rivals.com National Offensive Player of the Year[79]
Rivals.com SEC Offensive Player of the Year[80]
First-team All-SEC (Associated Press,[81] Coaches,[82] Rivals.com[80])
Associated Press SEC Offensive Player of the Year[81]
Associated Press Player of the Year[83]
First-team All-American by: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, Walter Camp Football Foundation, Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, CBS Sports, College Football News, Rivals.com, and Scout.com
James E. Sullivan Award, awarded to the Nations top amateur athlete[84]
Roy F. Kramer SEC Male Athlete of the Year.[85] Third Florida Gator to win this award, Danny Wuerffel (won twice) and Ryan Lochte.
ESPY for Best Male College Athlete[86]
2008 season
First-team All-America by College Football News.
Disney Spirit Award[87]
ESPY for Best Male College Athlete
Heisman Trophy finalist
Manning Award winner
Maxwell Award winner
Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week[88]
2008 SEC Championship Game Most Valuable Player
First-team All-SEC (AP,[89] Coaches,[90] Rivals.com[91])
Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year
Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year[92]
Wuerffel Trophy winner
2009 season
William V. Campbell Trophy (formerly the Vincent dePaul Draddy Trophy, "The Academic Heisman") winner
Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Heisman Trophy finalist
First-team All-SEC (AP,[93] Coaches,[94] Rivals.com[95])
Second-team All-America (Walter Camp Foundation)
Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year
Impressive, huh? I haven't followed college football my entire life but I would venture to say that Tebow is perhaps one of the most dynamic players that college football has ever seen. While his quarterback skills are in question, Tebow is undoubtedly going to be picked in the upcoming NFL draft. Yet, with millions of dollars on the table, Tebow will be making a political statement in a Pro-Life Superbowl advertisement this coming weekend. With so much money on the line, it is rare to see someone of Tebow's stature making a political statement that can and will alienate a part of his fan base. As ESPN.com author Jemele Hill stated in her recent article, "an athlete's choosing to do what Tebow is doing might be professional suicide". And yet, she also brought up another good point when she stated "I don't care if you're pro-choice or pro-life, conservative or liberal, God-fearing or atheist, you've got to admire Tebow for standing with conviction, even as he's opening himself and his family up to criticism." This man is shamelessly bold.
After reading this, I can't help but feel that Tim Tebow has the right idea as a Christian. Some may disagree with me in the fact that Tebow is forcing his ideas upon others with a Superbowl advertise, perhaps the single most watched sporting event. I'm not for forcing my ideas upon others either. However, this man finds his identity and security in Christ alone and is not afraid to show it. This man is living out his faith. In an interview last year, Tebow was quote as saying "For me, every day includes four things: God, family, academics, and football, in that order." He's not afraid of the critics nor is he afraid of losing money because of his faith.
Paul talked about this in the book of Romans
Romans 1:16-17
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith"
Romans 8:38-39
"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Tim Tebow is living out these two verses. There is no questioning that. I wish I could say the same about myself.
*Wikipedia
2006 season
SEC All-Freshman Team[69]
SEC Freshman of the Week[70]
2007
Walter Camp Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week[71]
Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week, three times[72][73][74]
Davey O'Brien Award winner[75]
Heisman Trophy winner
Maxwell Award winner[75]
Walter Camp Award finalist[76]
Sporting News Player of the Year
Harley Award winner
NCAA QB of the Year[77]
ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American football team[78]
Manning Award finalist[78]
Rivals.com National Offensive Player of the Year[79]
Rivals.com SEC Offensive Player of the Year[80]
First-team All-SEC (Associated Press,[81] Coaches,[82] Rivals.com[80])
Associated Press SEC Offensive Player of the Year[81]
Associated Press Player of the Year[83]
First-team All-American by: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, Walter Camp Football Foundation, Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, CBS Sports, College Football News, Rivals.com, and Scout.com
James E. Sullivan Award, awarded to the Nations top amateur athlete[84]
Roy F. Kramer SEC Male Athlete of the Year.[85] Third Florida Gator to win this award, Danny Wuerffel (won twice) and Ryan Lochte.
ESPY for Best Male College Athlete[86]
2008 season
First-team All-America by College Football News.
Disney Spirit Award[87]
ESPY for Best Male College Athlete
Heisman Trophy finalist
Manning Award winner
Maxwell Award winner
Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week[88]
2008 SEC Championship Game Most Valuable Player
First-team All-SEC (AP,[89] Coaches,[90] Rivals.com[91])
Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year
Southeastern Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year[92]
Wuerffel Trophy winner
2009 season
William V. Campbell Trophy (formerly the Vincent dePaul Draddy Trophy, "The Academic Heisman") winner
Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Heisman Trophy finalist
First-team All-SEC (AP,[93] Coaches,[94] Rivals.com[95])
Second-team All-America (Walter Camp Foundation)
Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year
Impressive, huh? I haven't followed college football my entire life but I would venture to say that Tebow is perhaps one of the most dynamic players that college football has ever seen. While his quarterback skills are in question, Tebow is undoubtedly going to be picked in the upcoming NFL draft. Yet, with millions of dollars on the table, Tebow will be making a political statement in a Pro-Life Superbowl advertisement this coming weekend. With so much money on the line, it is rare to see someone of Tebow's stature making a political statement that can and will alienate a part of his fan base. As ESPN.com author Jemele Hill stated in her recent article, "an athlete's choosing to do what Tebow is doing might be professional suicide". And yet, she also brought up another good point when she stated "I don't care if you're pro-choice or pro-life, conservative or liberal, God-fearing or atheist, you've got to admire Tebow for standing with conviction, even as he's opening himself and his family up to criticism." This man is shamelessly bold.
After reading this, I can't help but feel that Tim Tebow has the right idea as a Christian. Some may disagree with me in the fact that Tebow is forcing his ideas upon others with a Superbowl advertise, perhaps the single most watched sporting event. I'm not for forcing my ideas upon others either. However, this man finds his identity and security in Christ alone and is not afraid to show it. This man is living out his faith. In an interview last year, Tebow was quote as saying "For me, every day includes four things: God, family, academics, and football, in that order." He's not afraid of the critics nor is he afraid of losing money because of his faith.
Paul talked about this in the book of Romans
Romans 1:16-17
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith"
Romans 8:38-39
"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Tim Tebow is living out these two verses. There is no questioning that. I wish I could say the same about myself.
*Wikipedia
Monday, February 1, 2010
Christopher Leong, The Pharisee
Luke 15:1 "Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around [Jesus] to hear him. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
Luke 19:10 "The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
Lately, I've been having a hard time loving certain people, one of them being a fellow brother in Christ. This persons condescending nature and yet overall desire to be treated like an infant do not sit well with me. What are you trying to say? Are you trying to say that you're better than me or that you want me to baby you or both? It's something that has been on my mind a lot and has come out in conversations as frustration. Through it all, my attitude has been sour and equally condescending. My, how I have forgotten the story of grace.
I opened my devotional book today and read about the Pharisees and their response to Jesus's ministry to the "sinners" and "enemies" of the Jewish culture. They were angered by such grace as it meant that Jesus spent time with the "bad guys" and not themselves, the "good guys". As the devotional book put it, the Pharisees were caught in "good guy, bad guy" theology. In essence, "good guy, bad guy" theology looks like this...
I am good. They are bad.
My actions merit the approval of God. Their actions merit condemnation.
If only others could be as good as I am. I'm sure glad I don't look like that guy.
"Good buy, bad guy" theology misses the entire basis of Christianity: we are all sinners before a just and holy God that despises sin. It is not our actions but by His grace and favor that we are able to draw near to Him. I am not saying that I live with the attitude that I deserve the approval of God but I do look at people and sometimes say "man, I can't stand this person" and then grumble under my breath.
Here I am, a judgmental pharisee, casting condemnation upon others due to my personal distaste for some of their actions and words. No matter how rude, offensive, condescending, or prideful those actions and words come off, I am left with no excuse not to love. In God's eyes, I am no different. Much like them, I am a sinner, eternally indebted to a Savior. God loves them just as they are in their flaws much like me loves me despite the full knowledge of my shortcomings as a person and a follower of Christ.
The story of grace is that it makes life not fair. It sets all sinners, worthy of eternity in Hell, on the same plateau of God's mercy and love. I need to stop thinking that I am on that plateau while others are merely at the base of the mountain. There is no separation between myself and others, only grace.
Luke 19:10 "The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
Lately, I've been having a hard time loving certain people, one of them being a fellow brother in Christ. This persons condescending nature and yet overall desire to be treated like an infant do not sit well with me. What are you trying to say? Are you trying to say that you're better than me or that you want me to baby you or both? It's something that has been on my mind a lot and has come out in conversations as frustration. Through it all, my attitude has been sour and equally condescending. My, how I have forgotten the story of grace.
I opened my devotional book today and read about the Pharisees and their response to Jesus's ministry to the "sinners" and "enemies" of the Jewish culture. They were angered by such grace as it meant that Jesus spent time with the "bad guys" and not themselves, the "good guys". As the devotional book put it, the Pharisees were caught in "good guy, bad guy" theology. In essence, "good guy, bad guy" theology looks like this...
I am good. They are bad.
My actions merit the approval of God. Their actions merit condemnation.
If only others could be as good as I am. I'm sure glad I don't look like that guy.
"Good buy, bad guy" theology misses the entire basis of Christianity: we are all sinners before a just and holy God that despises sin. It is not our actions but by His grace and favor that we are able to draw near to Him. I am not saying that I live with the attitude that I deserve the approval of God but I do look at people and sometimes say "man, I can't stand this person" and then grumble under my breath.
Here I am, a judgmental pharisee, casting condemnation upon others due to my personal distaste for some of their actions and words. No matter how rude, offensive, condescending, or prideful those actions and words come off, I am left with no excuse not to love. In God's eyes, I am no different. Much like them, I am a sinner, eternally indebted to a Savior. God loves them just as they are in their flaws much like me loves me despite the full knowledge of my shortcomings as a person and a follower of Christ.
The story of grace is that it makes life not fair. It sets all sinners, worthy of eternity in Hell, on the same plateau of God's mercy and love. I need to stop thinking that I am on that plateau while others are merely at the base of the mountain. There is no separation between myself and others, only grace.
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