We Are Michael Vick and Big Ben

In my most recent post I suggested that true followers of Christ ought to forgive "evil" people like Ben Roethlesberger and Michael Vick and even people like King Mannasseh from the book of 2 Kings, chapter 21 in the Bible. King Mannasseh even sacrificed his own son! One of the reasons we are to forgive is because Christ forgave us. I would like to suggest an additional reason.

Our hearts are capable of the same evil as their hearts are or were.

Am I suggesting that you would start a dog-fighting ring and abuse innocent dogs, or sexually abuse someone? I am not suggesting you or I "would", but I am suggesting that, given the right circumstances we each "could" do something of that nature. In other words, our hearts have the same capacity of evil as anyone else. Just because we don't do certain things, does not mean we are better. The biblical notion of humanity's sin is not that certain actions make us sinful. Instead, our sinful actions only illustrate an inward reality and capacity that is always there. This inward reality and capacity is what makes us sinful, not our actions.

Furthermore, sin is degenerative. In other words, similar to the notion that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." It can be said that "sin corrupts and any sin corrupts absolutley." Sin has a systemic and destructive effect. Just because I don't sin like Michael Vick and Big Ben and King Mannaseh, this does not mean I do not have the same capacity.

The reality of the capacity of my own sin confronted me at one period in my life and I wrote these words,

"To learn of and be left to the base of who I am
would lead me to the bane of my existence and
leave me in an irrevocable rebellion against God
With a chronic unrepentant heart.
I would be a brute beast before the Lord, reviling God in utter rebellion
likened to that of Satan and other fallen angels."

When I realized this capacity of my own heart, I finally understood how fallen angels and Satan himself would revile against a great God, because sin is degenerative and continually corrupts us. For this reason, I have to continually remind myself that I am no better than anyone else, thus I must forgive all others, lest I be a hypocrite and exempt myself from receiving God's forgiveness. For Jesus instructed us to pray, "forgive us, AS we forgive others."

Tomorrow, I will suggest another reason to forgive...because it is in the best interest of the offender, not necessarily the offended.

Beams Away!

Forgive The Michael Vicks and Big Ben's

Ever find someone who is difficult to forgive? I mean someone who has either hurt you or someone else that is absolutely regugnant to you? Two people I have heard a lot about this past football season are Ben Roethlesberger and Michael Vick. Are they really worth forgiving? Big Ben, of the Pittsburg Steelers was accussed of sexual abuse and Michael Vick was guilty of running a dog-fighting ring. Both of these types of behaviors are abhorrent and should arouse anger and cries for justice.

However, they have seemingly cried out for forgiveness. Do we give it to them? And if we do, are we suggesting that they get a free pass from their behaviors? Just because someone asks for forgiveness are we, as Christians, obliged to give it to them. Absolutely!

In the book of 2 Kings chapter 21 in the Bible, it is recorded that a king named Mannasseh did evil in God's eyes. He had rejected God by worshipping other false gods, he shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end, and he even sacrificed his own son in fire. This makes Big Ben and Michael Vick's sins look like little sins. God said that Manasseh's sins were detestable to God. So God humbled Mannaseh and brought such disaster upon Mannasseh that anyone who hears it, their ears will tingle.

Then in the book of 2 Chronicles chapter 33,verse 12, the Bible records that Mannasseh, in his distress sought the favor of the Lord and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fahters. Notice God's response. Verse 13 records that God was MOVED by Manasseh's prayer and thus brought Mannasseh back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom.

What!?!? God was "moved" by the prayers of THIS man?! What does this say about God? What are the implications for us?

I believe this tells us that God has a heart that will enact justice and that God's heart is ready to move towards mercy and forgiveness in response to true humility. I believe this means we are to do the same, if we call ourselves followers of Jesus. Not only because we profess to be followers of Jesus, but also because our hearts are filled with the same capacity for evil as that of king Mannasseh, Big Ben and Michael Vick. We are to forgive because we have been forgiven to the same extent as Mannasseh and because we possess the same heart of God if His Spirit lives within us.

So can you and I still forgive that person who is so repugnant to us? Jesus offers forgiveness to us and he tells us that to whom much is given, much is required.

Thanks Jesus for my forgiveness.

Beams Away!

What Do You Doubt About, and Why?

This week I have been reading about one of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament, Elijah. What a stud! He challenged hundreds of other prophets, who believed in another god, to a show down. He had himself and the other prophets each build altars to their god. Then who ever could invoke their God to bring down fire upon their altar would be declared the real god. This took a lot of faith.

After taunting these other prophets and making fun of their god's fire-lighting impotence, he then has people completely saturate his altar with water. Then he confidently calls upon his God, Yahweh, and fire comes down from heaven and completely burns up his altar. What a remarkable and spectacular victory! What faith and fearlessness!

However, notice how quickly the faith had turned to fear and how almost instantaneously Elijah defaulted to doubt. When Elijah had returned from this mountain top experience, (it truly occurred on a mountain) he hears that the queen of the land wants to kill him. Eliah's response was one of fear not faith. Elijah doubted that God would save him. Elijah took off to run and hide. What a remarkable transformation! What fear and faithlessness! How did this happen?

There does seem to be a default to doubt in all of us. What contributes to such a tendency to doubt so quickly? Even Peter, who was at one moment walking on water with Jesus began to doubt and subsequently sink. Jesus, was heavy-hearted and asked Peter in Matthew 14:31, "...why did you doubt?"

In one sense Jesus' question is rhetorical, and yet it demands an answer. Why do we so quickly doubt? Are you doubting today? What do you doubt about? More importantly, why do you and I default to doubt so easily and so quickly? I doubt, not because I question God's ability, but because I question God's intention for my life. Is God's intention always for good in my life? I doubt because I question God's goodness. In light of this default to doubt in my own life, I have to ask myself, what would my life be like, if I never doubted God's goodness.

I welcome your thoughts. Beams Away!

Where's the Line to See Jesus

In today's post, I'd like to share with you this inspiring music video. video This music video by Becky Kelley which makes this point, if Christmas is about Christ, then where are the lines to see Jesus? In other words, why don't we see more of Jesus at Christmas? It is a terrific music video and she has an incredible voice. But it seems to me that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

As Christians we can be disheartened by culture's rejection of Christ, and we can continue to make the point that Christmas is about Christ; but we need not be surprised by society's rejection of Christ. There was no line when Christ initially arrived to earth and rarely has there been a receiving line since. The Gospel of John tells us that Jesus is God, who became flesh and dwelt among us, he was in the world and although the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.


We are subject to various types of lines at Christmas. Lines to see Santa, lines to see movies, lines at the grocery store, lines to purchase gifts, lines to return gifts. We tend to have a disdain for these lines because they make us wait. But may we comprehend that Jesus patiently stands in line for each life to respond to the gift of His redemptive rule over our lives. This gift He gives to all who would receive Him. However too many refuse to respond, as if to stamp upon this gift, "Return to Sender."


Where's the line to see Jesus? It is right in front of us. However, Jesus is the one who stands in line to see us. He stands in line to see if we will respond to his love and grace. Jesus stands in this line to see us, because his creation will never stand in line to see him.


What a an awesome God.

Beams Away!

Will The Real Church Please Stand Up.

To Tell The Truth is a classic game show from the 70's and was one of the first big hits for game show producers Goodson and Todman. The host would introduce three people and told the celebrity panel about them. The panel would ask questions of the three in an attempt to discover which one was the true person. The host would then say, "Would the real (person) please stand up?"

While this was a fun and entertaining show it makes me think of the church today. There are a myriad of different churches all claiming to be the true church of Jesus Christ. While there are some similarities, there are also some profound differences. Numerous people are looking at churches in culture and are asking, "Would the real church of Jesus Christ, please stand up?"

Bill Hull in his book, "Christlike", offers four general categories of churches. I rephrased Bill's categories as "The Easy Believism Church" - where all a person has to do is believe in Jesus, say a prayer for forgiveness and then gets to go to heaven; but no behavior change is required. Next there is the "Liberal Church," where a person is expected behave like Jesus, but does not necessarily need to become a Christian. Then, Hull identifies "The Prosperity Church," that promises health and wealth for those who have faith in Christ. Finally, Hull points out "The Consumer Church," where people approach the church as consumers, more than as Christians.

This last church, "The Consumer Church" is the most insidious in our culture. Hull offers the following characteristics of this type of church, "Their vocabulary is laden with phrases like, 'We are looking for a church where we can be fed...' They are preoccupied with youth programs, types of music, length of services, personalities of clergy. These folks leave churches because they are bored, or don't cry enough, or laugh enough, or tingle when the music plays...Their language rarely reveals any interest in being challenged and accountable for spiritual life and service."

Would the real Church of Jesus Christ please stand up? What are the characteristics of this church? It is one where people realize they need to believe in Christ alone for salvation, and where people live beyond the individualism of our culture by knowing they truly belong to a community of faith. It is also a church were people are challenged and encouraged to move beyond the consumerism of our culture as the people of God, by becoming nothing, so that God can use them for anything.

Who would want to join this church? Would the real followers of Jesus Christ, please stand up?

Beams Away!

What's the Point of Prayer?

If God is all-knowing, all-powerful and already in control of all things already, then why pray? So much of our prayers seem to focus on things we would like God to change in our lives, but if God already knows our needs and has already put a plan in motion for our lives, then what's the point of praying? God bids us to pray by telling us in to "Let our requests be known to God, with prayers and petitions..." But why? If God has put his unstoppable plan into place, why pray for anything else?

This week I will be speaking from 1 Samuel, chapter 8. In this chapter, the Israelite people reject God has their King, and tell their prophet, Samuel, that they want an earthly king. Samuel is quite upset, tells God and conveys God's word of caution to them. Nonetheless, the Israelites do not pay heed to God's word. Verse 21 of chapter 8 records "When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it all (or rehearsed it) before the Lord." In other words, Samuel prayed to God and rehearsed all the words the people said to him. Why did Samuel rehearse all those words? Surely God already knew what they had said. Clearly God already knew what their response would be. Obviously God anticipated this response many years earlier. So why does Samuel pray by repeating everything the people had said?

I think Samuel was having a moment. Samuel was ticked off! Samuel was having a cathartic experience. Samuel was praying to God, who knew everything already, for the same reason we pray to God. Samuel was praying to God, not to change God, but he was praying to God, so that as he was praying, God would change him. Therein lies the answer to the question, "Why pray?" We pray, not to change God, but we pray so that God may change us, as we pray.

There are many times I have gone to God in prayer feeling a certain emotion, but had come away from prayer with an entirely different emotion and perspective. Prayer changes things, namely me.

I wonder if this can be generalized to all things God calls us to do. I wonder if we are to be obedient to God in order to change the world, but the change of the world occurs as each of us allows God to change us. More specifically, I pray so that God changes me. I give money generously, so that God changes me. I share my faith, so that God changes me. I read the Bible, so that God would change me. I go to church, so that God changes me. I sing in church, so that God changes me. I live ethically and morally, so that God changes me. I serve others, so that God changes me. And as each of us lives in obedience to God, God changes each of us and thereby God changes the world.

I need to be increasingly obedient to God so that I may be change by God. This is my ultimate prayer.

Beams Away!

Good Deeds are like Good Deodorant

In junior high school, I was able to draw considerable and favorable attention from cute girls because they believed I smelled really good. My older brothers would have been glad to dispute their claim, but I was happy to live in the luxury of those girl's faulty belief system.

The secret to my successful scent was Dial deodorant. Before going out, I would spray a cloud of Dial deodorant large enough to cover ten square blocks and then allow that smoke to permeate my clothes. You laugh, but the girls weren't laughing. However, I was only taking credit for something unnatural to myself. Left to my own natural resources, I, like you, do not smell very well. In Jr. High, it was not me that smelled good, girls were not drawn to my natural smell, but rather my manufactured smell called dial deodorant. As I graduated from schools I also graduated from dial deodorant to English Leather cologn to Polo to my all time favorite Drakkar. Each improvement in cologn, brought more accolades to myself, yet it was never the real me, only a disguise that was initiated with dial deodorant. When I wake up in the morning, I don't naturally smell like Drakkar Noir or Dial deodorant. My natural smell is a bit less complimentary.

This dynamic of my deodorant is true about my good deeds. My good deeds are like good deodorant. My good deeds may appear to be praiseworthy or admirable. I may even experience certain accolades for being a nice guy. However, at more core, I am selfish. My natural tendency does not warrant remarks that are complimentary. In fact, when I am confronted with who I am at my core, I don't even like myself. But it is very easy to hide behind good deeds in order to try and impress others and try to impress God. However, when attempt to do this, I am only living in denial.

In the Bible, the book of Ruth, , chapter 2 verse 10 a profound question is asked by a woman named Ruth, to a man named Boaz, who is a Christ-like figure. Boaz ownes a field in which Ruth is working seemingly inconspicuously. Ruth is simply trying to gather enough food to eat for the night. However, Boaz shows Ruth some attention and favor by watching out for her. In verse 10, Ruth replies with that profound question that each of us should ask Jesus Christ. Ruth simply replies to Boaz with the question, "Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me - a foreigner?" Although Boaz points out the admirable goods deeds from her past, Ruth does not rely on her good deeds in the presence of Boaz. Instead, she simply relies on the grace given her from Boaz.

One day I will stand before Jesus Christ. In the presence of Jesus Christ, I can try to rely upon my past good deeds, but it would be equivalent to taking credit for the scent of good deodorant. At my core, I am saturated with the scent of sin that is repugnant and in need of redemption and repentance. However, in this life, I have the opportunity to respond to the favor and incredible grace of Jesus' death for my sin, by asking, "Why have I found such favor in you?" and then living a life of repentance. When I stand in the presence of Jesus Christ, my creator, savior, redeemer, king and judge, I will only be able to thankfully rely on his grace and blood which covers my sin and removes it's stain and scent.

Do you and I try to gain approval with God and others by relying on our good deeds? If so this is like relying on good deodorant to permanently remove our natural smell.

Beams Away!