I'm My Own Spiritual Terrorist

I'M MY OWN SPIRITUAL TERRORIST

“I was sabotaged, set up, conspired against…the devil made me do it!” Oh! How often we engage in the fine art of laying our problems, trials and failings in the lap of someone else, when, in reality, we are the ones who have set ourselves up to fail.

A few months ago while driving past a construction site near my home I had the good fortune of running over a nail. For about a week I nursed the tire, filling it constantly with air, until I could get to a repair shop. Finally, my schedule clear enough to allow for the three hours I would have to wait, I set off to the local superstore’s tire repair shop. As I waited I had the opportunity to watch a couple of employees stack tents on one of those middle-of-the-aisle displays. On one side were some large tents and on the other some more oddly packaged smaller tents.

After about an hour the stackers realized the only thing holding up the large stack of small tents was the heavier stack of large tents. The one stacker turned to the other and said, I kid you not, “As long as nobody moves the larger tents, we should be okay.” Imagine that. Here is a truly lose-lose situation. The point of the display was to sell tents and make a profit. Yet, if they sell them, someone may get hurt.

Many do this spiritually. They stack the odds against themselves and when someone comes along and applies the least bit of pressure, we blame them. Paul once said, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:14 ESV). The word “provision” here, according to Greek scholars, means “forethought or providential care.” In other words, we should not make plans that are destined to lead us astray and we certainly should not blame it on others when we do.

Instead, let us make plans for spiritual success, laying up a spiritual treasure in heaven. Consider another of Paul’s thoughts. “For Everyone that sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:8). What have you sown in your spiritual life? In the end, what will you reap?

P.S. - I am still working on the "unaffiliated" series of articles and will post them later.

UNAFFILIATED

Unaffiliated

I am, from this day forward, “unaffiliated.” That is my aim. Much to our detriment and dismay, it is no longer sufficient in our religious world to claim we are “undenominational,” but must now also mark our "affiliation" in some way. This is regrettable, but, again, it is my aim to be “unaffiliated.” It should be yours too. Before it can be, however, I guess one needs to understand what it means. Let me try to explain.

One of my life’s passions and greatest interests is Bible Study. I enjoy reading the wonderful stories and lessons that just never grow old. Each and every time I pick up the Bible I am amazed at just how true to life the words are and just how much, through meditation and prayer, I can mine from it to not only change my life, but the world about me. Everything seems clear to me. Everything is pure to me. And yet, I cannot spend my life in the book. I must step beyond its pages to be light and salt. I must move beyond its greatness to be the embodiment of it or at least attempt to be. I must be transformed by it and live. My life must be spent for it.

However, when I move beyond the Word to the religious world about me I am often not so comfortable. Man, as one might expect (Romans 3:23), in his striving for polarity and party, has said much about the Word of my God. My fear is that little of it has much to do with that pure, clean and clear Word, but more about supporting our own “religious” contexts. The fabric of our religious world seems torn by agenda, angling and anger. It is worn by politics, parody and pompousness. It is discolored by impure motives, maliciousness and the malignancy of sin, often paraded as pious. Unity is preached but rarely adopted, but either on the most stringent of man made terms or no terms at all – neither of which make for unity. Making matters worse there is a constant pressure to not just embrace the truth, but embrace the bent of some particular group that claims a corner on that market in infinite detail.

From this is born a child inconsistent in its ways, flawed in its attitudes and attributes. It is a child few will claim, but most have produced. It is, regardless of what is taught or the name written over its door, the Political Church. Make no mistakes about it, while it is not the current topic under discussion, truth (one truth or faith) does exist – that’s God’s Word. The Political Church is concerned with truth, but simply gives firmer embrace to various aspects of it than others, perhaps pushing certain doctrines beyond their logical consequence or necessity and simply ignoring others that seem to work against political agenda. By way of example, some churches will refer to themselves as “sound” churches, but what they mean is something far from the definition of soundness in the Bible. The word soundness simply refers to “health,” and encompasses not just what is taught, but the practice of said body. What many churches have in mind is, “we never let anyone teach from our pulpit or in classes anything different than what the Bible teaches.” There is a concept I hope all fully embrace. The problem is (aside from the fact that “what the Bible teaches” may not be what we teach – perhaps from simple failure to grow in wisdom) that this is but a small portion of what it means to be “sound.” We’ll ignore the fact that we have unscriptural elders. We’ll ignore the fact that this body of believers has not converted a soul in years. We’ll ignore the fact that we are banking our money for “the rainy day,” to the neglect of actually “making friends of the mammon of unrighteousness.” We’ll ignore the fact that we just “keep house” and still call ourselves sound. At the same time we wage war amongst ourselves and call it “contending for the faith,” when we really mean, “supporting our opinions.”

Truth certainly has its part in the Political Church, but seems to play a minor role, taking a backseat to the elocutions of various political pundits who tout “this” and “that” as the definitive marker between what is commonly referred to, though ambiguously so, as “liberal,” “conservative,” “ultra-conservative,” “progressive” and so on. The tenor of current debates among some of us is certainly proof positive of this point.

In the political church what matters most is stasis. Change is feared, though God’s word demands it (Romans 12:1,2; 2 Peter 1:5-9). The idea that everything should stand still often seems to rule supreme to the detriment of teaching and learning. We have reached the end of such and know it all! We, not the Word, have become the marker, despite the example of the noble Bereans. We have made the parties and politics and we have done it by simply refusing to grow in understanding or denying the fact that we do not always have it right.

In the political church pride, though rarely spoke of with regard to our pious numbers, is the one true attainable attribute. By it we remain is stasis. By it we are enabled to continue our charade of pseudo-religious pursuit, though the Word, again, lists it among the things that God himself hates. Odd, we find fault and teach at length against the attitude exhibited by the Pharisee in Luke 18, which says, “thank God I am not like other men…” At the same time we miss the point that, just like the Pharisee, we missed the point. It is our pride that initiate unrighteous, lopsided judgment and lend our minds and spirits toward a "policing the church" mentality.

I recently had a brother tell me that he could no longer have fellowship with a certain religious work because they had a man on a program who was on a program with a man who was on a program with another man who believed in doctrine X and Y, which this brother claim are false. He went on to say how he could not go to many of the churches in his area because they have somehow been “in fellowship” with someone who was in fellowship with someone in his chain of conspiracy. Adding to the difficulty I was having in listening to his rant, he claimed that there were a small group of men in his area who were holding the line and they had started a lecture and other preaching programs to foster their views.

The problem with all of this is that I know for a fact that the brother of which he spoke does not teach doctrines X and Y, though much documentation can be found CLAIMING that he does. Sadder still, neither one of the teaching is going to, according to the Bible; condemn a person, though many pretend every minute detail is a reason for debate and contention. In reality what this brother was talking about was the creation of a new political agenda, to replace the one he had become frustrated with.

This same story can be repeated time and time again, with different faces and names and is all too common in the fabric of our religious tapestry. Again, truth is truth and it is still waiting for us to take it from beneath our political agenda and pre-fabricated policy, to prosper thereby.

It is my firm belief that the only way this will happen is if we abandon politics and party and propose, as many once did (though in different terms), a non-affiliated status. No school, lecture, preacher’s meeting, or various forms of pseudo church government will have control over me. I am free to study, struggle, surmise and succumb to the grand teaching of God’s Word without the aid of someone’s agenda or party line. Just as I will stand in judgment on my own, free of affiliation, so will I stand here, save the affiliation of the God’s ordained body of Christ. I will embrace the good works of men. I will learn from their efforts and endeavors and yet, I will realize they are mere men as I. I will not ask them to BE perfect, but strive and work for it. I will not ask them to join my party, but to simply be a Christian, living in humble subjection, not to me or any other man or organization, but to God.

Next time we will examine the “political church” in light of the scripture, but having introduced this subject, let me close by saying that we will never truly connect with God unless we can set aside this political mentality.

The Spiritual Spa Treatment

The Spiritual Spa Treatments
As we begin our blog journey together, let us begin by discussing a concept that to a great extent has been forgotten by many in our society, though there are a few places of exception – service. A servant’s heart is one that is so full of love for others that room for self and self-serving are hardly introduced. A servant’s mind is one that is opportunity seeking, focusing on how good can be done for others. A servant being centers around the example of Christ and, Christ was a servant. I am fortunate to labor with a loving family of servants at the Pinellas Park church of Christ. May God so bless you as well.

Above all else, Christ was a servant (Phil. 2:2)
• He served man before his coming (John 1:1-4)
• He served man in his coming (John 13:1-13)
• He serves man even now (Heb. 7:25)
Are we Christians? Are we his disciples? What that means is that we are not only his followers, but, literally, his learners. Notice this in John 13. “If I then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” Christ was not instituting an act of worship, but giving them an example to follow. Think for a moment about what he has done. Christ was trying to combat an attitude among the disciples that lead them to ask “which of us is the greatest and will, thus, be the greatest in your kingdom?” It began when the mother of two disciples asks for the right and left hand positions for her sons. The debate ensues and in chapter 18 we find that the disciples themselves finally say, “let us just go to Jesus and ask him who is the best.” He tells them, “Unless you are converted and become like little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Well, apparently they don’t get it. As they enter into their final meeting with Christ, the time in which he is going to institute the “Lord’s Supper,” as we call it, they are still debating. Because of this debate, none are willing to do the servants job of washing the feet, a display of hospitality and love. They came to the supper with the same attitude we carry to the spa, “here I am, serve me, pamper me, give me more, more, more.” Yet, there is a spa of spirituality. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. The Bible talks of it often under the heading of “service.” The spa of spirituality is one where we are both worker and customer – serving using the blessings and gifts God has given us and being served as others employ theirs.
Just like the apostles, the Corinthian Christians has a problem understanding this idea of service. You will notice that the great love chapter of the Bible (I Corinthians 13) was written because there were some in the church who had lost sight of the concept of service, the heart and soul of the spiritual gifts. Paul even tells them, “when you come together (using these spiritual gifts) it is not for good.” Thus, he has to instruct them in the motive of service – love (agape - which defined properly, means “self-sacrificing benevolence”).
Christ served. We are called to serve. But maybe that is not the area of this idea we struggle with. Maybe ours is the questions of “how do I serve?” Well, I hate to tell you this, but there is no easy answer. I cannot answer it for you, other than to say, God has given you talent and ability. You may not realize it or you may suffer from esteem issues or other things that keep you from seeing it, but you are a talented individual. Ever notice that when Christ talked about talents he never mentions a zero talent man? Yet, some feel content to excuse themselves from service by saying, “I can’t do anything.” Even if your only skill lies in an ability to sit and write simple phrases in a shaky hand, you could use it for great good. I knew a woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer and given only two years to live. All of her life had been devoted to nursing others back to health and taking care of their physical needs. As she neared the end of her life, four years later, she, though dying, still handmade cards, though they were remarkably less ornate than those produced in her prime, for the sick of her church. When she died they found the card materials stacked by her bed and some were even shocked to get cards in the mail from her the day after she had died. One of her final acts in this world was an act of service to encourage some weary soul.
How can you serve? Let us consider that Spa image once again, only think of it in spiritual terms, where you are the laborer. What are the tools we find in a spa? Pedicure, manicure, soft soothing tones, scented oils and incense, massage, masks, peels, scrubs, wax, candling, stones, hands, feet, eyes, ears and touch (not to mention others). Christian service has its tools as well. In many cases, you will find the same tools here as in the spa.
SERVICE OF THE MIND
One of the greatest things we could ever do for another is to study. C.S. Lewis, of Narnia Chronicle fame, once stated, “If all the world were Christian it might not matter if all the world were uneducated. But, as it is, cultural life will exist outside the church whether it exists inside or not. To be ignorant and simple now – not to be able to meet the enemies on their ground – would be to throw down our weapons, and to betray our uneducated brethren who have, under God, no defense but us against the intellectual attacks of the heathen.”
One of the greatest acts of service Christ performed was delivering the will of God. Notice what Paul told Titus in Titus 2:11, 12. “For the grace of god that brings salvation has appeared to all men, TEACHING US that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present age.”
SERVICE OF THE EARS
“Thanks for listening,” she said and just broke down in tears. I had said nothing, but showed up on her doorstep two hours ago after I had heard about the tragic and accidental loss of her child. What could I have said? Was anything I did going to ease her pain? Was there some magical potluck favorite I could run by to dry up the tears? No! No! No! All I could do was listen. I may feel helpless, but sometimes that is all I need to do. Isn’t that what the Bible encourages us to do. “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak…” (James 1:19). If you want to be a good communicator, good servant, good friend and sister then you will often have to simply sit and listen.
When we say that we do not mean “look like you are paying attention,” but actually listening determining what a person is saying and perhaps why. Ever wonder why so many people don’t like to talk to answering machines. It probably has to do with the fact that we know nobody is listening and to not be listened to hurts perhaps more than many would ever care to admit.
SERVICE OF THE EYES
“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the father is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep onself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). Yeah, but what has that to do with “sight?” Well, that all depends on how we see the word “visit.” If to us it means “let’s sit and have coffee and cake while ignoring your obvious difficulties” then it means very little.
The word visit here, however, means “go to see; careful investigation.” When we visit those in need, let us constantly ask, “why are we here?” According to James, we should be there to carefully inspect or see what a persons needs are. Why? So we can meet those needs and thus serve. I have met many people who tell me they have gone to visit shut-ins, but when I ask them, “how can we help them, what are their needs,” they just give me a blank stare, as if they didn’t just walk past the lawn that needs mowed, gutters that need cleaned, to enter the house that needs painted where the elderly woman sat in a broken down wheel chair with little to eat and no physical means to make food. All of this is easily perceivable if we are there to “visit.”
SERVICE OF THE MOUTH
“A man has joy by the answer of his mouth and a word spoken in due season, how good it is” (Proverbs 15:23). It is no mystery that words of encouragement are wonderful, faith-building tools. Yet, you will notice that the Proverb writer makes mention of the “due season” of our words. Word meanings change when spoken in different tones or given a certain quality by, among other things, non-verbal communications. For instance, a person may say “I love you” and their tone reflects dripping sarcasm more than genuine love. Or perhaps they say the same things while avoiding your gaze, scanning some unknown place in the corner of the room with their eyes and shifting in their seat. By all indications, though the tone may be right, they are lying. In other words, when and how we speak are just as important as actually speaking. This, of course, means we must know people and what is going on in their lives. We must be a friend. We must be concerned. We must think about our words and serve through and with them.
Considering that many of life’s problems revolve around a lack of proper, effective communication skills and miscommunications, time and effort are greatly needed in this area. I once knew an elder in the Lord’s church who told me, “I just tell it like it is.” What he meant was, “I have a license to hurt people’s feelings and assert my own opinions as fact.” How tragic. Such behavior may be self service, but not much else.
SERVICE OF THE HANDS
There are several ways we can serve others with our hands. First and foremost we can serve others with the hands of prayer. Paul knew the value of this. “Finally, brethren, pray for us…” (2 Thess. 3:1).
Second, we may labor and toils, making meals, designing or writing cards, arranging baskets for the poor or needful, callusing our left so the right can hand out the money earned, and so on.
SERVICE OF THE FEET
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things.” The greatest service that you can ever provide to another is to teach them the gospel. Many in our age are concerned with debate and a refutation over fine points of doctrine that amount to nothing. Many are greatly concerned about riding the hobby horse of condemning what is false or wrong with the church. There is, no doubt, a time and place for debate and condemnation, but as we read the New Testament we cannot help but walk away with the felling that the bulk of the time of the first century Christian was spent in spreading the truth, though often heavily persecuted. Maybe they lacked the time to engage in some of our exercises of futility. Yet, the Bible records time and again in Acts that they “multiplied daily.”
One’s life can defined in a number of ways using a number of terms. If service and servant are not listed high among them, then we ought to go back again and examine once again the life of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, who was, above all else, a servant.

Welcome

Hello and welcome to all who are interested in finding God in the everyday and living each God-given and gifted day to the fullest. There are no ivory towers here, but a simple search for the daily affirmation that not only is there a God, but that He is ever striving to work all to our greatest good in all manners.

You can expect to find on this blog a discussion of the everyday - current events, history, language, books, and so on - as it reflects the spiritual nature infused in our world by its creator. From time to time you will simply find the thoughts of this author. Writing your thoughts is encouraged, though we ask that you refrain from foul language, prejudicial and bias attitudes, degrading tones or manners, and suggestive language. Our goal is to be positive and encourage those of Christian faith, who hold to Christian values. If you are not of like mind then perhaps your efforts would be best initiated somewhere else.

Though theological discussions are encouraged, areas of unrest must be dealt with using a two-fold Biblical principle - the Bible has the final say and whatever we say must be of the same loving character with which God delivered it to us in His word.

I do hope you will enjoy the blog! Let me know what you think.