The first century Stoic writer, Seneca, made this comment about Christians: “In the midst of the flame and the rack, I have seen men not only not groan, that is little; not only not complain, that is little; not only not answer back, that is too little; but I have seen them smile, and smile with a good heart.” Seneca was not a Christian, but he was watching Christians and he noticed a difference.
There is something to be said for style in enduring adversity. I blogged on this point some time ago in relation to the martyrdom of Polycarp. The Apostle Peter said trials give the Christian the opportunity for demonstrating the “proof of your faith.” (I Peter 1:6-7). The quote from Seneca above shows that that proof is not just for the believer but also for non-Christians who are watching.
Next time you are going through a tough time, remember that others are watching you. You are an ambassador for the kingdom of God and it’s King, Jesus. What proof will you give them of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in you? GS
“You don’t want to get messed up with a guy like me. I’m a loner, Dottie, a rebel.” These are the words of Pee-wee Herman, spoken in his Oscar-worthy performance in the classic drama, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. The line is funny because it drips with irony and is delivered dead-pan by the innocent man-child in the gray suit and bow tie. Though not intended as such, the line is also Truth.
We (Pee-wee included) are all rebels, and it starts from the day we are born. We come out of the womb crying, not out of empathy for our mother and the pain she just endured in giving birth but because we want our needs to be met.
This continues for years until we learn to mask our self-centerdness with superficial social skills. Though we try not to show it, we still believe we are the center of the universe. We believe, like Donald Miller who wrote in Blue Like Jazz, “Life was a story about me because I was in every scene. In fact, I was the only one in every scene.”
Our selfishness is rebellion toward God because it puts us and our desires before Him. And we are all guilty. We are all rebels, including Pee-wee.
Fortunately, we don’t have to stay that way. Jesus said, “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.” (John 12:25). By dying to ourselves and surrendering to Jesus we take ourselves off the throne of our lives and put Jesus there, where He belongs. We denounce our rebellion and come into agreement with Jesus regarding His identity and lordship. We cease from being enemies of the kingdom of God and pledge our loyalty to King Jesus. It is only then, in response to Pee-wee’s famous rebel declaration, that we can say to him, “I know you are but what am I?” GS
I love Sundays. In fact, Sunday is my favorite day of the week. Here are 4 reasons I love Sundays:
1. It’s a day of rest. I’ve been accused of being a workaholic, and I do work hard. But I learned back in law school to observe the Sabbath. In law school the professors assign students more reading than they can possibly do. They say this teaches the students to handle stress and meet deadlines. I’m not so sure. My colleagues studied 7 days a week. I decided to take a step of faith and trust if I honored the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11), the Lord would make my studying more productive the other 6 days. I carried this habit into my career as a lawyer. This means I’ve worked many Saturdays until midnight, but the blessing has always far outweighed the sacrifice.
2. It’s a day to worship the Lord. There is nothing like being led by a music group in praise and worship, and there is nothing like experiencing the presence of God in a tangible way.
3. It’s a day to recharge. My job is high stress. If I didn’t have one day a week with down time I would burn out. I’m sure this is why so many trial attorneys and others in high stress jobs do burn out, develop health problems or end up abusing alcohol or drugs. There is nothing worse than starting work on Monday exhausted. I don’t, and it’s because I’ve developed the habit of observing the Sabbath.
4. It’s a day of blessing. For all these reasons, Sunday is a day of blessing for me, and I think this is why Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. (Mark 2:27) I look forward to Sundays because I know I will not be working but relaxing, worshipping the Lord and recharging. How could it not be my favorite day of the week? But it’s only a blessing if you honor it. If you repeatedly misuse it to catch up at work or earn a few extra bucks it will no longer be a blessing, just another day.
Life in the kingdom of God is a blessing, but only if you obey the King. If you’ve not developed a habit of observing the Sabbath, I challenge you to try it for the next 4 weeks. By the second or third week you will find yourself looking forward to it, and Sundays will become a blessing in your life. After that it will be easy to make it a habit. GS
Today there will be much talk about 9/11, its causes and the people involved. Because Truth is a virtue, it is incumbent upon citizens of the kingdom of God to speak accurately about 9/11. With that I offer 3 thoughts with the intent of bringing some clarification to the conversation of 9/11.
1. The Terrorists Were Not Cowards. It has become popular to call the 9/11 terrorists cowards. However, a coward is one who succumbs to fear and self-preservation. The terrorists of 9/11 all voluntarily gave their lives for what they perceived as a higher calling or principal. They were, of course, wrong. There was no higher calling or principal, which makes these men fools, misguided and wicked, but they were not cowards.
2. The Victims Were Not Necessarily Heroes. A hero is someone who sacrifices his/her desires, needs or life for others or a higher calling. Being killed may make one a victim, but not necessarily a hero. There were heroes on 9/11. The firefighters and police who entered burning buildings to save others, as well as the people in the buildings who risked their lives to help those around them, are all heroes. But to call everyone who died in 9/11 a hero is to cheapen the word for those to whom it truly applies. We should honor those who died, but let’s do so honestly. Honest honor is better than false praise.
3. The Opportunity Will Always Be Clearer Than The Cause. We can speculate forever about the causes of 9/11. I’m not talking about the direct causes, i.e. that terrorists flew planes into buildings, but the more fundamental causes, whether they be political or divine. What is clear is the opportunity 9/11 created for the kingdom of God. 9/11 shook a nation out of its secular slumber and opened people to the Gospel. It also incited hatred, which gave Kingdom citizens the opportunity to model the love of Christ to Muslims. In short, it was a tremendous opportunity for the advance of the kingdom of God. Only time will tell how well Christians seized that opportunity.
So, if you find yourself in a conversation regarding 9/11 today, speak Truth, give honor where honor is due and seize the opportunity for the kingdom of God. GS
Pastor Terry Jones’s 15 minutes of fame has stretched into a reality tv mini-series. If you haven’t heard the latest, Pastor Jones met with an imam who, Jones insists, promised him the planned Islamic center near ground zero would relocate if Jones would call off the book burning. Jones says he agreed and announced he was canceling, but not long after the meeting, the imam claimed he had made no such promise. Jones responded by saying the imam had lied and that the book burning was no longer cancelled but suspended.
I blogged on Jones’s inflammatory intentions recently and suggested he may have had more in common with Islamic terrorists than he realized. I also blogged on the proposed Islamic center near ground zero, contending the most popular arguments against are missing the point. But I think there is something more significant here than either individual incident.
In response to his plan to burn a Quran, Jones claims he and his people have received over 100 death threats, and there is concern around the world of bloody repercussions by Muslims against Christians, and even the American military. So serious were these threats, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called Jones and encouraged him to call off the book burning. And all of because Jones threatened to burn a book.
But I don’t recall hearing of death threats against Muslims in response to plans to build an Islamic center near ground zero. Many Christians disagreed for sure, but they tried to reason and persuade. They didn’t threaten to kill people.
Or look at the response of the Christian community to Jones. Christians from every conceivable denomination called on Jones not to go ahead with the book burning, and they did so publicly. They went on the record to make it clear what Jones proposed to do was not representative of Christianity or its Founder.
But in response to plans to build an Islamic center and mosque near ground zero, Muslim leaders have been silent. I didn’t hear them calling on their fellow Muslims to build at a different place or suggesting love or respect for the feelings of others is required of them by their Islamic beliefs. If they have spoken publicly its been to claim victim status or first amendment rights.
Obviously, there are exceptions on both sides, but my point is there has been a substantive difference between the response of Christendom and Muslims which reveals more about both than the underlying controversies that spawned them.
What do you think? Do you see moral equivalency here or a difference in the responses? GS
The first century Stoic writer, Seneca, made this comment about Christians: “In the midst of the flame and the rack, I have seen men not only not groan, that is little; not only not complain, that is little; not only not answer back, that is too little; but I have seen them smile, and smile with a good heart.” Seneca was not a Christian, but he was watching Christians and he noticed a difference.
