American's Idols

Salavation, So Easy A Caveman Could Do It

     Yesterday my son and I were hanging  out in his room, when he told me he wanted to show me something. He made me lay down on the bed and hang halfway off, propping myself up with one hand, and told me to look in the mirror. The way the afternoon sunlight hit the mirror at the foot of his bed illuminated a few swatches of dust that had been missed when we were cleaning and dusting the house a few days earlier. At this angle, and in this light, the dust splotches resembled the form of a man's face. Jokingly, I jumped up and bowed before the mirror and said it was a sign from heaven. In mock devotion, I told him it was like the man who saw the likeness of Mother Theresa in a cinnabon and the man who saw the face of Jesus in a piece of burnt toast. Perhaps this was the likeness of the Jews who rejected the preaching of Paul and threw dust in the air (Acts 22:23). He didn't laugh either.

     Obviously we were being a bit mocking and sarcastic, but is it not concerning that people will line up for blocks or spend piles of money to see, or even bow in worship before pastries that they perceive to be signs from God? Many of these same people would never do any of the above acts of "devotion" to hear the simple preaching of the Bible. Whenever I read about people making a pilgrimage to worship a mildew stain on the side of a house (see the movie Henry Poole) or bow before the wood grain of a door that "looks like Jesus", I cannot help but think of Naaman.

     You know the story of Naaman (2 Kings 5). He was a great and honorable man, but he was a leper. When his wife's Hebrew slave girl speaks of a prophet in Samaria that could heal him, he makes the long journey from Syria in hopes of being healed of this horrific and fatal disease. Why wouldn't he? After all, this was his only hope, why not take a chance, even if it didn't work. The problem began when the great prophet didn't come and see Naaman himself, but instead sent his personal assistant to handle the task. Don't judge Naaman too harshly. How would you react if you traveled all that way, only to have the doctor send the receptionist out to the waiting room to tell you to "take 2 of these and call me in the morning" without ever looking you over himself?

     Problem number two comes in the form of the prescription. All he is told to do is dip 7 times in the Jordan River. Imagine the receptionist giving you, not a prescription for an ointment or a pill, but orders to take a bath. In fact, take seven. We would probably storm off just like Naaman. The real issue here is WHY did he get so offended? Was it because Elisha didn't come out to see him? Possibly, but who cares if the doctor makes a house call or calls in a prescription as long as it works. Was it because the remedy wouldn't work? Maybe, but truthfully he hadn't tried it and nothing else would work, so don't knock it. I think it was because it was just too easy. Naaman even indicates that he thought the prophet would wave his hand over him and shout out to his God. He thought there would be a big production, it would be harder, take greater sacrifice or something more than this.

     Herein lies the problem with man. How often do we need to be reminded "my ways are not your ways saith the Lord" (Isaiah 55:8)? Like Naaman, man often has problems with PERCEPTION and PRESCRIPTION. We assume that a great and might God would make a grand and mighty entrance, yet He was born secretly, in a stable in a a small town, to poor parents. We assume that the Almighty would always use His might; lightning flashes, thunder crashes, oceans part and the earth shakes, yet sometimes He speaks in a still, small voice, or proclaims wisdom from the mouths of babes. Our perception is that a God with the creativity to invent a platypus, would surely use something quirky like toast to reach out to us. The truth is, He simply called us by His Gospel (2 Thess.2:14). If  perception dictates reality, we need to change what people perceive. For many people God's prescription for sin is too simple. Shouldn't I have to go on some long journey, suffer for a long time, work it off by doing more good than bad, fast and pray for days, sacrifice my child? These attitude aren't just contemporary views, they were held by people in the Scriptures (prodigal son of Luke 15, rich young ruler of Matthew 19, Saul of Tarsus in Acts 22:16, Israel in Micah 6), but they still exist today. People seem to believe that there should be "more to it" than repenting and being baptized for the remission of my sins based upon faith in Jesus.

     Naaman was prepared to die a leper because the prescription for his problem didn't match his perception of how he would be healed. He was looking for and wanting to d something greater, when all God wanted to know was if he would do something humble and simple. The truth is, God has made the Gospel plan of salvation so simple, even a caveman could obey it. Thankfully for Naaman, his friends "talked some sense into him." Isn't that what people looking for God in a box of Krispy Kreme's need? Someone to talk some faith into them. Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved...how can they be saved except their be a preacher...faith comes by hearing the word of Christ (Romans 10:13-17).

SEC Football And The Body Of Christ

     I'll admit it. The title was mainly to get you to read this blog post, however, what I was thinking about while ironing my shirt this morning actually was SEC football and the body of Christ.

     In case you live somewhere other than the south, there was a pretty big football game being played last night. Actually, for all practical purposes it was the beginning of my long winter of discontent.....the end of the college football season. For the next eight months there will be no Alabama football (my drug of choice). 

     As an Alabama fan you would think that I, along with my Crimson clad brethren, would be rooting against Tim "Superman" Tebow and the Florida Gators, since they were responsible for keeping the good guys out of the National Title game last night. Additionally they have been responsible for keeping them from winning the SEC Championship 4 times in the last 15 years. Strangely, I found just the opposite to be true. Sitting on the couch beside my two favorite Bama fanatics in training, Reese and Kase, we were cheering on the Gators and went to bed with a sense of contentment and joy as Urban Meyer hoisted the crystal football. But that's just because I'm a nice guy right? If you can't beat'em, join'em? Wrong. This morning I took a brief tour through the Wild West that is college football internet message boards; a place void of reason and logic, where emotion rules the day and tact goes to die. Do you know what I found? 90% of the posters were just like me. Crimson crazies from all around were joining together in a chorus of praise for Florida, Tebow and Meyer (although they still used some creative, if not cruel, nicknames, i.e. Urban Cryer, and I won't even repeat what they do to the name Gators).

     Maybe it was because Alabama and Florida have more respect than rivalry for one another. Wrong again. I looked on the Tennessee message board, where they spit Beechnut juice before speaking the name of anything to do with Florida football, and the praise rained down for the hated Gators. Same with Auburn, LSU, and every other SEC school, except Ole Miss (all they wanted to talk about was how they were the only team to beat the National Champions, and on their home field no less; hey Rebs, put down the hotty toddy and remember Vanderbilt beat you on your home field, but I digress). Why all the love from those who normally hate? Three letters chanted repeatedly during the fourth quarter last night explain it all. "SEC, SEC, SEC!"

     Although thousands of fans from the eleven SEC schools have no bragging rights as champions this year, we all belong to the same conference and we are glad "one of us" is standing on top of the mountain. 

     Now that's the SEC football part, here is the body of Christ part. In my life I have been part of three congregations as a member: the East Hill church of Christ where I grew up and later preached; the Arlington church of Christ where I did my first local work; and the Fairview church of Christ where I am presently the preacher. Sadly, I can't be a part of all three at the same time, but all three will always be a part of me. Presently my focus and loyalty lies with Fairview, but I am also a "fan" of all of the congregations that belong to the Lord. We may not all be a part of the same team (congregation) week to week, but we most certainly are in the same family and that means I'm cheering for them. I rejoice with them when they rejoice and weep with them when they weep (Romans 12:15). We were all baptized into the same body and every member of the body is important (1 Corinthians 12). Paul said that some members of the body were more feeble, some are more attractive, some receive more honor, but all need one another, all are connected to one another and none should be divided from the other.

     If hated rivals like Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and others can celebrate one another's success on the football field, shouldn't brethren be able to cheer for one another in the field of faith? Today everyone can see, after three straight national titles (for the first time by one conference in thirty years, when Alabama in '78, '79 and Georgia in '80, did it, and only the third time ever) that the SEC is the best conference in the land. Maybe tomorrow, or someday soon, the world will likewise know that we as members of the church of Christ are servants of the King of kings. "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35).

It's The End Of The World As We Know It....And I Feel Fine

     Have you ever noticed that people have an almost gleeful obsession with the end of the world? With few exceptions, any "end of the world" disaster movie is almost certain to be a blockbuster that makes the movie studios millions of dollars (Armageddon - $200 million, Deep Impact - $140 million, The Day After Tomorrow - $186 million, The Day The Earth Stood Still - $73 million and counting). But why are we so interested in global cataclysm? Perhaps people just love to watch and see what it would be like if "What if...?" actually happened (without having to witness it firsthand).

     I started thinking about this a couple of nights ago while watching a program with my sons that was on The History Channel. The show was called "Nostradamus 2012" and it focused on the "prophecies" of the 16th Century French seer, which supposedly foretell of impending global doom in the year 2012. More specifically, it connected his Quatrains with the end of the Mayan calendar (December 21, 2012), which some speculate will be the end of the world.

     I can't help but wonder how people would react to a movie that accurately depicted the end of the world as described in the Bible? Can you imagine seeing and hearing, "the heavens pass away with a great noise, and the elements melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein burned up" (2 Peter 3:10)? Whether or not Hollywood ever decides to showcase the real judgment day on a 75 foot Imax screen with Dolby Digital surround sound (although I'm sure they will if they think they can make a dollar off of it), it certainly is coming to a sky near you. The certainty of the second coming is as sure as the resurrection and ascension (Acts 1:10-11). Rather than being fascinated by the end of time, I pray that people will become concerned about "what manner of persons" they ought to be when it does happen (2 Peter 3:11a). If we are living holy and godly lives, without spot and blameless (2 Peter 3:11b, 13) we can actually anticipate the return of Christ (even more than folks look forward to blockbuster movie releases). By the way, on July 10th Sony Pictures will release an end of the world thriller called "2012" and you guessed it, I can't wait to see it.

In The Beginning...

I guess it has to start somewhere and this is where it all begins. No big, grand kickoff. No amazing opening, just a few simple words and away we go. Apparently the "in" thing for preachers to do now is blog, so here I am. In case you are wondering what purpose this blog will serve....the answer is I don't know. Perhaps it will be nothing more than a place for me to share my thoughts and opinions about any and everything going on in the world for whoever might be interested and have a few minutes to kill. Hopefully along the way, I'll stumble on some wisdom, insight, humor or something that will make your day a little more enjoyable. In the event that I fail in these endeavors, at least it didn't cost you anything, and if I succeed, you got something for nothing.