Tag: teach

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The Famine

Genesis 42-44 and Psalm 11

Joseph’s dream becomes a reality some 20 years in the making:

So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. Genesis 42:6

To disguise himself, Joseph uses an interpreter to employ his scheme to hold his brothers and teach them a lesson. Deep inside it seems Joseph’s longing for his family never faded. Twenty years of living through incredible highs and lows, yet still he has a heart for those who despised him. Amazing.

Reuben’s told you so response is humorous, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen!” (42:22). There is much debate at the camp when the brothers return (less Simeon). Jacob doesn’t want to lose Benjamin, even though Reuben assures him of safety. Judah adds his name to the list of those who will ensure Benjamin’s safety and Jacob relents and sends them all on their way with twice the silver and other gifts.

Joseph prepare a banquet to receive his brothers, but the story is not over yet. They enjoy the food and are released the next day with provisions and a surprise: a silver cup is hidden in Benjamin’s sack. The penalty is set: Benjamin is to become a slave, but Judah’s plea breaks Joseph’s heart (next chapter).

One of the greatest stories in the Old Testament, replayed in many ways. There is much to learn from the entire story, but what lesson should I take from this today? Judah’s sincere commitment to his father gets my attention. Judah was the one who devised the plan to sell Joseph (Genesis 37:26) and it was his plea to Jacob to take Benjamin to Egypt as required. In reading the narrative, it may be true that Judah has the most to lose from amongst the brothers. Though he’s not the oldest, he left them and built his own family (Genesis 38). Yet he is willing to become Pharaoh’s slave for the sake of his brother, perhaps for the sake of his brothers. Perhaps there is deep regret for his original plan to sell Joseph. Now he is put to the test and he does not disappoint. We don’t hear his prayers of confession, nor his admission of guilt in the first offense. It’s hard to say if Judah (and his brothers) ever mentioned the fact that they conspired against Joseph–perhaps that is the point.

Christ forgives our sins. He doesn’t lay them on the table and require that we recant them one by one, he simply forgives them all. We are released from the past.

Let go of the guilt and lay it all before Jesus. He completely forgives all.

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Joseph

Genesis 37-39 and Psalm 10

Psalm 10 is incredibly timely as our presidential election cycle builds to a crescendo.

The Lord is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror.Psalm 10:16-18

Today we begin the story of Joseph, one of the most compelling characters in the Old Testament. Joseph is the Jacob’s first son with Rachel, the wife he desired most and work for 20 years to earn. It’s a bit difficult to imagine the culture of those days, so many children through multiple wives and concubines, honestly hard to get my mind around. Takes some time to switch gears mentally.

Within the clan, Joseph is despised by his brothers because Jacob treats him differently, “they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.” Joseph had a dream, one where he prospered over his brothers, a dream he choose to tell them about, “they hated him all the more.” Joseph appears to be taunting his brothers while feigning innocence (since he was only 17). He even includes Joseph and Rachel as characters bowing to him:

“What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

Joseph Sold by His Brothers

One fateful day, Joseph was sent to check on his brothers as they tended the flocks. When he finally found his brothers, “they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.” But Reuben spoke into this plot and convinced them to simply “throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness.” They toss Joseph in the empty cistern, then sit down to enjoy dinner (my embellishment). Judah has an idea, “let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hand on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.” So Joseph was sold and taken to Egypt. Apparently, Reuben was not part of this conspiracy because when he went back to the well, Joseph was not there, and he said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”

They took Joseph’s special robe, dipped it in blood from a slaughtered goat, and told Jacob that “Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.” Understandably, Jacob is heart-broken, distraught with grief.

Judah and Tamar — Side Story

Meanwhile, Judah moves out and starts a family with the daughter of a Canaanite. They had three sons, Er, Onan and Shelah. Er and Onan are wicked, “so the Lord put [them] to death.” Er’s wife was Tamar. Judah wanted to protect both Shelah and Tamar, so he told Tamar to live as a widow in his household why Shelah grows up. Tamar has a plot of her own and gets pregnant by Judah when she disguised herself as a prostitute. Strange story indeed. Ultimately, she has twins: Perez and Zerah. Perez, as in Matthew 1:3, in the lineage of Jesus. End of side story.

Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

“The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master” (Genesis 39:2). Potiphar put Joseph in charge of everything, so all prospered because of God’s blessing on Joseph. Potiphar’s wife lusted after Joseph and kept asking him to “Come to bed with me!” but Joseph refused. “And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.” Eventually, she gets aggressive, but Joseph runs away, leaving his cloak in her hands. She makes up a story that suggests he was “making sport” of her and he gets thrown in prison. Joseph, once again, flourishes in prison, “he was made responsible for all that was done there.”

It’s hard to imagine that Joseph kept a positive spirit during all of this turmoil. I really wonder how his diaries read during those days, yet God continues to bless him and prepares him for the next phase.

What is my struggle today? Could it be that God is preparing me for a blessing? Or perhaps my actions will bless another Joseph? I don’t think the point of this story is to be faithful and get blessed, I think the point is simply to be faithful. Trust that God has a plan beyond what we can see. That’s hard to do in the midst of troubles–that’s why it’s called faith.

Lord, teach us to be faithful, always trusting in your ways above ours.

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Jacob Wrestles With God

Genesis 32-34 and Psalm 9

“So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.” More than a dream, the one who wrestled with Jacob “touched the socket of Jacob’s hip…and he was limping because of his hip.” Something happened to be sure, but the important point is Jacob is blessed by God and his name is now: Israel.

Jacob is seriously afraid of Esau, constantly uses, “my lord” when addressing him. Seriously sucking up to the brother he deceived. Esau, however, is content with his station in life, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.” Eventually, Esau takes what Jacob offers and they part company amicably. The whole affair seems to be characterized by Jacob cowering to Esau and Esau simply going about his business. Interesting.

Dinah, Jacob’s daughter with Leah was raped by Shechem, the son of Hamor (from whom Jacob recently purchased the property they possessed). Jacob is furious. Hamor does think it’s an issue and suggests that Jacob should intermarry with them, “live in it, trade in it, and acquire property in it.” They are seriously upset, but devise a plan by agreeing with Hamor and Shechem if they will all be circumcised. “All the men who went out of the city gate agreed…and every male in the city was circumcised.” The stage is set. “Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi…attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male.”

What do we do with this story? What lesson do we draw from these words? At the very least we must understand that Simeon and Levi acted without God’s approval and inflicted punishment that was far greater than the unacceptable treatment of Dinah. In my imagination, I can see Jacob watching his sons brew over the affair, knowing they were extremely angry and perhaps even sensing that they were devising a plan to kill the men of Hamor–yet he did not know the extent of their plan. Since God certainly blesses Jacob, this seems to be the proper interpretation. Their reputation is now cast among the neighboring nations. Rumors will spread. “You have brought trouble on  me by making me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land.” So they would have to leave.

How many times do we act in anger? How many times do I react in anger? Do I not believe that God has a plan, that he wants only the best for me? Yet, I demand revenge and take it on my terms when I insist. Lord help me to learn these lessons and lean on you fully.

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name,
O Most High.

Thank you, Lord, for speaking clearly to me this morning. May I remember this moment and teach others the same.

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Destruction and Birth

Genesis 19-21 and Psalm 6

Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed. Whether an enormous earthquake (the consensus of the references I found) or some unknown catastrophic event, the wicked people of Sodom and Gomorrah were ultimately punished. Lot, his wife and two daughters flee at the bidding of the angels disguised as men “grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them” (Genesis 19:16).

“But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt” Genesis 19:26

Given the result, it seems fair to conclude that Lot’s wife didn’t just glance over her shoulder; rather, she was consumed by her desire for that which was left behind. When Jesus was teaching his disciples about the end times, he referenced this narrative: Luke 17:28-29, 17:32.

“Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it” Luke 17:32-33a

Once again we see the need to understand the Old Testament better to appreciate the references from the New Testament. It’s important to see what has happened to appreciate what will happen. Lord, increase my understanding!

Lot’s two daughters were apparently raised in such depravity that they conspired to get their father drunk and have sex with him in order to have children. Thus we have the beginning of the Moabites and the Ammonites from which battles will ensue in the coming generations.

Abraham and Abimelek — “She’s my sister” a second time. Abraham uses the same ploy a second time (and Sarah added ‘He is my brother.’ Abimelek has a dream that reveals the deception and has a meeting with Abraham where he explains the riddle,

Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. And when God had me wander from my father’s household, I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, ‘He is my brother.'”Genesis 20:12-13

There is truth and there is the whole truth. Interesting. Abimelek gives Abraham lots of stuff and Abraham prays for him. Thus Abraham is again rewarded for this deception.

The Birth of Issac

Just as the angel said, Sarah became pregnant at the age of 90 (Abraham became the father of Issac at 100). Somehow they still have a sense of humor about the entire affair:

God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me. Genesis 21:6

Sarah must be filled with joy as she realizes that God allowed her to have a son, so much so that everyone will laugh with her. It’s a wonderful image. But once again, Sarah is extremely unhappy with Hagar and Ishmael, so Abraham sends them out. God provides for Hagar in the desert of Paran. They are now out of Sarah’s way!

God is the Lord of promises kept. As humans, we tend to make a mess of everything, but God works with us anyway! Praise God for his patience, his providence, his protection and relentless pursuit of his people.

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Sin Spreads Worldwide

Genesis 5-6

Chapter 5 describes the long lifespans of mankind before The Flood. Some would argue they had a different definition of years in those days, but the theme I get is man lived, multiplied and died…except for Enoch. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away (Genesis 5:24). He must have been a model follower of all God had envisioned. “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death…he was commended as one who pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5).

What is really meant by “Sons of God” and “Daughters of Humans” and who were “The Nephilim” mentioned in Genesis 6:4?

These are hard topics to discuss because we lack details and as a result the “experts” provide all kinds of interesting insight. Those who are far from Christ will use these types of references in an attempt to destroy our credibility. Many of those who have been raised in the church don’t even know how to approach the subject because they weren’t taught much (back to the “lack of details” concept).

If we are to be the light and salt in this every postmodern world, we must not simply skip verses we don’t understand. At the same time, it doesn’t make sense to overemphasize concepts that aren’t well substantiated. All that to say, in my perspective, we should step back and look at what God is telling us in Genesis 5 through most of chapter 11 — this is the core theme: mankind (that which God created, Genesis 5:1-2) had become corrupt and required a restart. I’ll continue to pray for insight into the sons and daughters and Nephilim, but I cannot ignore that there is evil in this world, that there are those bent on selfish desires of their fleeting flesh. So there, I just skipped verses I don’t understand, but at least with the caveat that I don’t fully understand them either. I hope I’m not a stumbling block for someone reaching out to Christ as a result.

We will soon see the full fury of God’s wrath in the next few chapters. This prelude gives us a glimpse of creation in chaos. Such disorder is not acceptable to God and he will put an end to those who have taken sin to an extreme.

Noah is given a job to do because of his reputation, his faithfulness. The weight of this responsibility is beyond my comprehension. God provides detailed instructions to preserve life as the world gets a jump start. We teach this in kids Bibles and VBS all the time, but honestly, it’s one of the saddest stories in the Bible. It truly breaks my heart to think about the masses of humanity that died as a result of depravity. I’m not questioning God here, just extremely sad.

God help us to pull people out of darkness and into your great and glorious light!

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Sin Spreads to Family

Genesis 4, Psalm 2

The lesson from Cain and Abel is still very much alive today. Even within my own family I see examples of how one brings an offering with truly good intents while another has ulterior motives. Thankfully, at least to date, the worst of the motives are petty in nature, nothing like Cain!

Sadly though, reading the local newspaper reveals the darkest of hearts still exists in our local communities. So sad, especially in these small, rural communities. Given the number of people in large metro areas, you would expect to find stories of violent domestic disturbances, just because the statistics favor large numbers, but here?

We need to be aware of the struggles that people are dealing with on the inside. This is only possible when we build relationships, something that takes time and only happens when we truly care about our neighbors.

In many ways I think we’ve lost the art of making friends. Facebook teaches us that you click to add friends and while we all know that’s not reality is subtly creeps into our subconscious thoughts. Dale Carnegie’s famous, How to Win Friends and Influence People, was a book based on biblical principles written to an audience that was generally interested in learning how to apply these concepts. I’m not a big fan of wikipedia, but take a glance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Win_Friends_and_Influence_People. Don’t misunderstand me, we don’t “handle” people or in any way, shape or form try to manipulate them to our way of thinking, but if we are students of Jesus Christ, we will see the 20th century principles Carnegie was trying to convey.

If we are not thinking like Christians, these same principles can be used to manipulate others as well. Why? Because we are social beings. God intended for us to be a community, to be in community with one another.

The narrative in Genesis 4 doesn’t explain why Cain’s offering wasn’t acceptable, at least not directly. When we read the rest of the story, especially Genesis 4:7, we see that there is something going on beyond the simple offering of grain, the fruit of the land.

“…But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”

Abel offers the best from the flock and apparently Cain picked up what was simple and common. God provided an opportunity for Cain to learn, knowing what would happen next.  Hebrews 11:4 stresses that faith was the key to Abel’s offering, his intent was righteous.

Lord, sharpen my senses to see that my own intentions are righteous, are a worthy offering to you. Teach me to learn your ways, each day. Help me to show others the strength in community, even though it requires time and energy.

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And He Chose You

Today’s Our Daily Bread referenced Deuteronomy 10:12-22 which includes the phrase, “and He chose you, their descendants, above all the nations.” In reading the Bible, the concept of the “chosen people” is a consistent theme. Many times we read about the people chosen by God, but today the thought that jumped out is this:

they weren’t chosen because they were special,
they were blessed because they were chosen.

Let that sink in for a minute.

We are blessed because we have been saved by Grace, set apart, listed among the few. This special favor is not something to wear with pride as the Pharisees did–thus a significant part of Jesus’ earthly ministry. This whole concept of being “special” is fragmenting this country as it seems like a new people-group pops up daily and demands to have special treatment.

The reality is we are set apart to do the work of Christ during the short time we have on earth. God chose Israel to be the example for the world and they messed it up over and over again. For our benefit, God chose to record this in great detail in the Old Testament.

12 And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

For Your Own Good

What a concept. It’s all about pointing to the Lord. Holy Spirit help me to point to you in all things. Keep me humble while you give me strength to lead, follow, serve, teach, learn and live for Christ in all that I do.

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Grapes from Thornbushes

The Sermon on the Mount is an extensive collection of teachings by Jesus. There are many lessons we can learn by studying each section. In today’s Our Daily Bread devotional, the reference was to Matthew 7:12-23. This section starts with the Golden Rule and includes three themes.

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.Matthew 7:12

  1. The Narrow and Wide Gates Matthew 7:13-14
  2. True and False Prophets Matthew 7:15-20
  3. True and False Disciples Matthew 7:21-23

Each of these four topics causes me to pause and think, but what caught my attention this morning comes from #2 above.

Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?Matthew 7:16

Much of what I currently do involves supporting pastors who are planting new churches. They look to me for direction, for advice and support. The contrast between the three passages above paints a picture that rather black and white, either you are or you are not. My thought this morning is simple, “am I a thornbush or thistle?” When I sense resistance, is that because I’m moving against the grain in the wrong direction or is the one I am leading moving in the wrong direction?

This tension is important to work through and I think Jesus places these topics side by side to help us appreciate that will need to work through issues together, that we need to examine where the fruit is coming from. A thornbush produces thorns. In the heat of the battle, it’s often not so clear to see. Perhaps we’re supposed to backup a bit and look at the passage just before Matthew 7:7-11, to simply ask, to seek and to knock.

I wouldn’t intentionally grab a thornbush, but I might if I don’t slow down and consider the source. It’s my greatest desire to be a tree that produces good fruit–fruit approved by Christ. How do I do this? Primarily by seeking Christ first, by hearing His voice, reading His word. This is where strength comes from.

Jesus, help me learn from your actions, your words, your life. Teach me to be a tree of good fruit and help me see when I’m making mistakes in the process so I can turn and move with you.

 

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Some Songs from 2003 and 2004

Fond memories of serving Christian Life Church in Milton, Florida from 2002 to 2005. We had a young family way back then and I was fortunate enough to be a part of the Middle School ministry, Discipleship Training (as a trainee) and some elementary school-aged ministry (Sunday morning worship and Vacation Bible School). Thanks to the Air Force we continued to move and serve at other churches, so this post is all about remembering a few highlights during Zoë’s assignment to Hurlburt Field, Florida (at this point I’m retired and working as a software consultant).

Here’s a link to the page that captures Discipleship Training memory verse songs and VBS 2004.

Discipleship Training, 2003

The lack of quality of the discipleship training songs is a bit distracting. These weekly renditions were recorded on my Boss 16-track hard disk recorder in our dining room. I had very few tools back in those days…that’s my excuse anyway. The truth is, these little songs helped us memorize scripture. I had a cassette duplicator and made a dozen copies of each to pass out to our training cohort. When You Pray (song #2), based on Matthew 6:6 and Don’t Be Anxious (song #8) based onPhilippians 4:6-8, are still my favorites. The recordings leave much to be desired (i.e., they suck), sorry about that, but the verses still remind me of important scripture that is buried deep in my heart (song #3), I Seek YouPsalm 119:10-11. At the time, I dutifully memorized2 Peter 3:18 (song #1) and recorded the commercial-like song. Since then I’ve studied Peter quite a bit more and have come to know and respect this Apostle. I still pray for the ability to do as he requires in 1 Peter 3:15-16. Song #5 is pretty weird, but I have to say, I remember 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and the important lesson these few verse contain. Songs #4 and #6 are difficult to listen to, yet they serve as a reminder that these tunes were there to serve a purpose: help memorize scripture. That leaves song #7, Temptation, based on 1 Corinthians 10:13. Here Paul is teaching his fledgling church in Corinth a lesson that we struggle with today and I’m glad this verse repeats itself in the back of my head,

No temptation has ever seized you except what is common to man,
God is faithful He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can stand.
But when you are tempted, he will always provide a way out
So that you can stand up, you can stand up to it.

Once again, the recording is sketchy (at best), but it still rings in my head when temptation arises — that was the point of these songs. They were there to remind us of important scripture passages. Surprisingly, no record label has tracked me down for these! 🙂

Vacation Bible School, 2004

I still remember approaching Pastor Johnny Williams about writing the music for VBS. This was a big deal for Christian Life Church. They had a very positive reputation for high quality VBS that attracted well over 300 children from the area, pretty cool for Milton, Florida. We were there for VBS 2003 and I just thought this was something I could do. There are several things I remember about this experience, but the most significant include Katrina’s (second daughter) sign language adaptations of the lyrics and subsequent teaching these songs and motions to the children. She did a fabulous job and ended up leading worship for KidZone in Virginia on our next assignment.

Another fun memory was the final recordings of the songs. I wanted to have children’s voices on the recording, so the “choir” you hear on the recordings are actually just the children from three families (more than a dozen enthusiastic voices). Yes, I know some of the timing is a bit off, but it’s real and it was really a blast putting this together. I wish I had a recording of 350 children singing and signing these songs on that final VBS night. They filled the stage and really did a great job. So much fun!

The theme for VBS was Extreme JC, so we climbed, swam and ran fast to this energetic song to get them started. We taught them the fruits of the spirit in Fruity Blues (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and goodness, faithfulness, thankfulness and self control) based on Galatians 5:22-23. Yes, I still remember these in order. It Will Be Done was was one of the key teachings for this VBS and though this is a kid’s song, it is a good reminder that we can do all things with God, it’s our choice to get on His team! Because You Say So I Will is so much nicer than this recording indicates. Maria Pool did a fabulous job of singing this (along with her 6 children!) and Kelly Toole’s flute was perfect. I remember Kelly coming over to our house to record it. She was probably 17 or 18 at the time (???). When I answered the door she asked if anyone else was home because she was not allowed to enter a man’s house alone. Such great parents! Yes, our girls were all there, but I still remember how she honor a very reasonable rule that was in place to protect everyone. Thanks Kelly! She listened to my keyboard rendition of the flute part and we recorded it completely with very few takes. I hope she’s still playing. When I initially thought about this song, I intended it to be a rock-style song, but this turned out to be a very contemplative style song. I still remember the children sitting on stage as they sang this song–they really brought it home.

Special thanks to Pastor Bailey Dickerson (rocking piano), Pastor Johnny Williams (drums) and Nathan Black (lead guitar) for their support in recording these tracks. And thanks to Maria Pool (lead vocals) and Kelly Toole (flute) on Because You Say So I Will.

Thanks for the Memories

I’m not entirely sure why I’m writing this post this morning, but I am very thankful for the great memories at Christian Life Church. Thanks Pastor Doug Holmes for your music and solid Bible teaching. Thanks to the many friends we made during our short assignment and time at CLC. God Bless.

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unChristian: 3. Hypocritical

One of the most often cited reasons for steering away from Christianity: we’re just a bunch of hypocrites!

Eighty-five percent of young outsiders have had sufficient exposure to Christians and churches that they conclude present-day Christianity is hypocritical.1

Who cares?

The research seems to suggest that Busters and Mosaics agree that Christians are hypocrites, but they don’t really care because, it seems, everyone is a hypocrite! It’s all about getting ahead in the world, preserving your image, looking like people expect, so apparently, it’s a new normal. What a horrible worldview! Not only does this generation consider inflating resumes as normal, it lumps Christ followers in the same group. We have a lot of work to do indeed!

In Matthew 23, Jesus was very critical of the religious elite, the Pharisees, Sadducees and Teachers of the Law. That’s the last group of people I want to be identified with.

Lifestyle Gaps

The Outside world sees us as no different than anyone else…we have nothing to distinguish us from non-Christians. It’s one thing to be transparent, to confess we are all sinners. It’s an entirely different thing to behave like those who have not been transformed by the Holy Spirit. If our attempt was to fit into society, we’ve accomplished that a bit too well.

What’s the Message?

When asked to identify the most important priorities for the Christian faith, most essentially answered, “being good, doing the right thing, not sinning.”

The evidence that born-again Christians prioritize “avoiding sin” is compelling. First, realize that most Americans believe you can earn a place in heaven if you do enough good things for others or if you are a decent person. One-third of the people who qualify as born-again Christians embrace this idea as well. 2

While it’s not wrong to want these things, this isn’t what Jesus called us to do. We should be taking up our cross daily, diving into the Bible, learning the principles and living them out. As a result, we would naturally do good things. That’s very different than doing good things first…as if we could earn salvation. Brennan Manning’s Ragamuffin Gospel destroys this misconception: it’s all about the costly grace of Jesus Christ.

Kinnaman quotes Philip Yancy’s book, What’s So Amazing About Grace, to say that Jesus preferred to spend time around sinners because they had no pretense. Those who claimed to be so righteous we not interested in hearing what He had to say. They knew it all.

What if Outsiders are Right?

After re-reading this chapter, I simply have to ask the question: What if outsiders are right? We if we are the hypocritical, non-transparent, two-faced, self-righteous, bigots they’ve come to expect? It’s no wonder they have little interest in hearing the Gospel. They are right when most wear the badge of Christian on Sunday, actually just a few hours on Sunday, then quickly put it back in the drawer for another week. They’re right when we avert our eyes from homeless families or those who are in the deadly spiral of poverty and simply say, “we’ll pray for you!” I wish I weren’t guilty of fitting into their definition, but I am guilty to at least some degree.

Lord, help us to move away from the comforts this country has to offer and go into the world proclaiming your grace. Help us to work harder than anyone else, as if we were working for you (Colossians 3:23), to be a positive example. Show us how. When we get together on Sundays, let these be days when we share stories of how you honored these prayers throughout the week, how You helped us overcome the trials and temptations. Teach us to throw away the masks of hypocrisy. I want to be more like You, Lord. That may make me look like a radical, but certainly not a hypocrite.

 

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Chapter 4 »

 

 

1 Kinnaman, David; Lyons, Gabe (2007-10-01). unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity…and Why It Matters (p. 42). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

2 ibid, p. 50

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