Are We Using or Losing Them? Part 1

Most Christians-specifically youth/young adults-want to serve in their local church. Along with zeal, knowledge, and passion, they want to use their time, gifts, and talents to advance the cause of Christ, if only given the chance. Far too often, however,  churches have a waiting period before allowing "newcomers" to serve in any capacity. The explanation by these churches is it allows leaders to evaluate character, observe faithfulness, and judge whether that (particularly if young) person's skills are both authentic, and relevant to the position that person desires to serve in.

Valid points, for sure.

At the same time, what does one do when the "new kid on the block" knows more than the leadership? As a lifeguard, how many people will drown before you let a qualified (but non-certified) swimmer rescue those you just couldn't get to? Would Michelangelo be forced to go through a paint-by-numbers class before he paints your ceiling?

Does this sound like your church, or one you know of? Check out our next post, Are We Using or Losing Them? Part 2, as we continue to address this issue within the church world.

Fathom This Mystery

Every woman is a mystery. No matter how old you are, how long you guys have been married, or how wise you think you are, there will always be an element of mystery to women. Having been married to my wife for over 35 years, I know this to be a fact. In another 35 years Pamela will still have an element of mystery about her. Ladies, that doesn't mean that you've figured out the male species; I'm simply acknowledging a fact about women. The Bible is also a mystery-specifically the Epistles, letters written to the churches. What's the big mystery? One mystery is how God is able to actually live inside of us, as Christians. How does God do this? Through the Person of the Holy Spirit. You can see that from reading the books such as Ephesians, and Colossians. For instance, in Colossians 1:27 Paul, the writer of this letter to the church at Colosse, clearly states that this mystery is "Christ in you...." Christ in you. Okay, how? By the Holy Spirit. Ah, now that's the mysterious part: Christ is in me, through the Holy Spirit.

Ponder that truth for a moment: Christ is in YOU. An astounding statement, but not too good to be true. It's true, because God said it. It's up to us to believe it and act like it's so, even when we don't fully understand it.

Don't try to figure out how this is done. It's always somewhat of a mystery how God does what He does. Instead of hurting your mind by trying to figure this all out, just accept it by faith. Remember, you don't have to understand something to have it working for your benefit. I don't understand how a bumblebee flies, do you? The fact that its wings are too short for its body  doesn't stop the bumblebee from flying, or pollinating my wife's flowers.

In secular mystery books the mysteries are hidden FROM us. With the Bible, the mystery is hidden TO us. It's there for us to receive, believe, and achieve in our individual lives.

I love reading about this mystery that God has revealed to us in His Word,  something for our hearts to meditate on and put into practice.

Don't you love it when you're part of a mystery that's in your favor? How has this post changed how you see yourself as a Christian?

Are You a Thermometer or a Thermostat?

As a young boy living in Iowa our house did not have air conditioning, not even a window unit. As a result some summer nights could be warm, to put it mildly. Living in a two-bedroom house, I shared a small bedroom with my brother. In addition to any breeze from the open bedroom window my parents placed a small fan at the foot of our beds, to help circulate the night air where we slept. Although the fan didn't change the room temperature, it did help move the air some. Without an air conditioner, every little bit helps.

An outside thermometer would show the actual temperature in that location. In the absence of home air conditioning there was, of course, no inside thermostat available to initiate any changes in temperature. I hope whoever invented air conditioning did well.

A thermometer reflects actual temperature whereas a thermostat initiates changes in air temperature of a room or house, depending on what change in temperature is selected. A thermometer tells you what is.  A thermostat offers change, usually one that makes rooms cooler in summer, warmer in the winter.

As people of God, we choose to be a reflection of society as a whole (thermometer) or a reflection of what God is doing in the earth at any given point in time, including now (thermostat). It takes no real effort to be a thermometer, to be a part of what is. Being a thermostat, on the other hard, requires being changed to make a noticeable difference  to your world, starting with those around you.

Are you a thermometer or a thermostat? Are you a part of the status quo, flowing with those around you, or are you allowing God to bring change to your surroundings, to those within your sphere of influence? If a thermostat, how is God using your gifts and talents to bring help, healing, and life to a lost and dying world where you live, work, and play? If, at this moment, a thermometer, what event(s) would need to happen to influence you to want to become a thermostat?

Is tolerance acceptance?

Some things remain the same: the sun rises in the east, setting in the west. Roosters crow, babies cry, and too many potholes remain to be fixed. On the other hand, some things have changed in meaning. For instance, the word awful. Upon gazing at the famous Cathedral of Notre Dame, the king of France reportedly exclaimed, "My God, it's awful." When the Cathedral was completed in the 13th century the word awful meant full-of-awe, just as the word beautiful means full-of-beauty. Over the years the word awful has come to mean something bad; terrible-a far cry from full-of-awe. Unfortunately, the same is true concerning tolerance and acceptance. Once upon a time tolerance meant putting up with, without agreement, without acceptance of what's being tolerated. Not so now. Society, as a whole,  has shifted to holding tolerance and acceptance as synonymous terms. In other words, to tolerate means to accept; to be intolerant is to not accept. But, is this really true? Is tolerance acceptance?

According to the Bible we are to love the sinner, while hating the sin. Jesus did. He told the woman caught in the very act of adultery to go and sin no more (John 8:3-11). Jesus wasn't accepting what the woman did as alright-He called it sin. What Jesus did was not condemn the woman (verse 11)-and neither should we-when confronting sin. Like Jesus we tolerate the person, not the sin. We shouldn't tolerate sin in our own lives, either.

The world's view of tolerance is accept everything which they think is OK. If you don't, you're being intolerant. At the same time, those "preaching" tolerance are the most  intolerant of them all, for they are intolerant of Christians, those standing for Biblical principles of absolute truth. More and more, the world is growing increasingly intolerant and unaccepting of anyone who opposes what they believe.

Is tolerance acceptance? Not according to the Bible no, in reality, according to what the world shows towards those with differing views. Without agreeing,  I practice tolerance towards those with viewpoints contrary to the Bible. I don't agree with them, but I don't force my viewpoint on them. My manner of life speaks louder than my words. Does yours?

How about you? Is tolerance acceptance, in your life? How do you practice tolerance, without acceptance of that with which you disagree?