Virginia Tech

After the shooting at VT, we went to Bible study at our little church, and a young man joined us as we began to get into the Word. As the pastor went through the Word, the young man rocked and prayed, seemingly oblivious to the pastor’s words. His lips moved as he prayed, pausing only to kiss the beaded cross that hung at his neck. Then, his growing agitation couldn’t be contained any longer and he stood up and began perusing the reading material on the table near the door before finally interrupting the study.

He read to us from a label peeled from a sports drink. He seemed to think the label contained possibly some enlightenment and a definite humor which he laughed at; we didn’t. He went on to later indicate that he was spreading the word “the right way,” and he didn’t even need his Bible to do it. When our pastor asked him if he would like us to pray for him, he said yes, and after we prayed, he thanked us and left.

As I indicated in previous posts, I grew up in the city. I make it a point to analyze potentially dangerous situations and plan for the worst. I sized the young man up from the moment he came through the door, and I never took my eyes off his hands. I took into account his size, the distance between us, the obstacles between us, his potential awareness of my presence, and all manner of attack and defense scenarios. I set and prioritized my goals, identified potential weapons and strategies, and even shifted my weight and positioned my feet for efficient and expeditious response.

I was so ashamed, but I couldn’t stop myself. I missed almost the entire study, because I was so focused on the “intruder.” As I chastised my complete lack of…grace or love…I caught one point in the study: our effort is not requisite for the fulfillment of the will of God. I watched the unstable young man diligently as I wrestled with God’s will versus my desire. I desired for my family and I to live through the study (if this guy intended to do harm). Was that God’s will? Had I bothered to inquire of God about it? Then came the time to pray for our guest...

That’s when it hit me the hardest. I am supposed to put God’s will ahead of my own, even at my own physical peril. Nothing I could do, no amount of planning or effort, could take from or add to the will of the almighty God. So, I closed my eyes and asked for God’s forgiveness and prayed for that young man’s soul while trusting God with mine, according to His perfect and divine will.

Amen.

What Is A Christian? (Part I)

What is a Christian?

CNN is running a segment titled “What Is A Christian?” I doubt the show will even come close to answering the question, but it is a question that the world will ask…and answer.

So, what is a Christian?

It’s very important when asking this question that we not only focus on what a Christian is, but what a Christian isn’t. These weighty questions are often coupled with the question of what a Christian should and shouldn’t be, but we will see that the real question is what God intended for us.

First, the question of “what a Christian is” is somewhat of a bogus question. Realistically, Christians are just people, so the question is more accurately “What makes a person a Christian?”

When we start thinking of “what makes a person a Christian,” we are tempted to think of what a Christian should believe and how a Christian should act; basically, the question of what a Christian should or shouldn’t be. This question is somewhat of a bogus question as well. Christians are not defined by any human deed or standard, so the real question is, “What is and isn’t God’s intention for us?”

Notice, I did not say “God’s intention for Christians.” "Us" refers to all of mankind; God created all of us (even those who don’t believe He did). He loves us all equally and by grace has made provision through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son to reconcile everyone of us to Him. If a person believes in the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and accepts the sacrifice of the Christ for forgiveness of our sins and for our salvation, trusting that we are reconciled not through our own works but by grace alone, that person is a Christian.

So, when CNN asks, “What is a Christian,” the answer is: a Christian is a person who is reconciled to God by grace alone. We should watch the CNN segment and see if they did their homework. I won’t hold my breath.

“What do I put my faith in?”

I saw a commercial on TV the other day where a couple left their children home while they went out. Their oldest was maybe 12 or 13, and the two younger children were 6 or 7. The couple had faith in their alarm system, so they left the young girl at home alone in charge of the house and two younger children.

The young girl turned on the alarm system, and when an intruder kicked open the door, the alarm and the service company saved the day.

The commercial was designed to offer a measure of confidence and security in the technology and service provided by that company. The couple seemed to be vindicated in their choice of alarm system, and the message to viewers was that we could put our faith in that same service/technology.

It made me ask myself, “What do I put my faith in?” Do I rely on myself or my own judgment? Do I rely on my family or the people around me? Do I rely on money, technology, material things, or government?

Am I building my house on the sand?

Lord, while I pray for discernment in the ways and means of this life, help me to rely first and foremost on you. (Matthew 6:9-13)