Another thought on the end of the world.

I've recently been watching more of the news. With Katrina still on everyone's mind, Rita is bearing down on the south. The water and winds are said it be very rough. As of yesterday, the projected damaging aspects were thought to make it as far into Texas as Dallas. The rainfall and flooding aspects were said to make it as far north as Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, even Tulsa... where I live.

As of today, they have changed the projected path of the storm, and have said it has "weakened considerably in the past 24-hours, but is still dangerous."

Is this going to be the onslaught that New Orleans was? I doubt it. I'm certain the media will play it as much as it can, of course. However, I don't forsee it becoming such a major issue. For one, New Orleans was a bowl, and there were many geographical attributes to the area that added to the flooding. I don't think much of Texas is going to have to worry about this.

Do I think there will be loss of life in the thousands? I doubt it. In the hundreds? In the tens? To be honest, I have no idea.

Some have even speculated that these catastrophic events are signaling the end of the world. Why? Because it effects you, for a change? Keep in mind that the gulf coast, in the pig picture of things, is a relatively tiny strip of land.

Is it the end of the world? Only God knows that. This much I do know, and I've said it before: The end of the world comes every day for thousands of people through war, famine, murder, illness and accidents. Are you taking time to establish relationships with people to reach them in their hour of need?

What if I am wrong? What?? Jerry be wrong? I am. Often. And what if I am here, too? What if Rita builds up steam again and takes out your home town? Do you know, should your little world end, and your slice of existence be brought before review of God, the eternal... how would it be rated?

Ratings

"I was a good person" : Great. So were the Pharasees. The movies portray them as crooked, evil, spiteful and hateful men. But if you know the history, they were insightful men who spent MUCH of their day reviewing the old law, and searching for evidence of the Messiah. Christ noted that they give their tithes, and pay their dues. They were, socially, wonderful men. Yet he called them children of the devil. Why?

"I go to church." : Great. So did the saducees. They didn't beleive in the Messiah, but they went to the synagogues to worship God. Yet Jesus called them a brood of vipers. Why?

"I know there's a God." : Great. So do the demons. They have seen more of God than you have, thus they know he is really real, but they will not be allowed to inherit the Kingdom. Why?

"I'm a Christian." (as said synonymous with I'm a member of the NRA, or as evidenced by carrying some sort of membership card) Great. Christ himself said "Many will come to me in the last day and say 'Lord! Lord!'"

Here... I'll paraphrase:

'Lord! Lord.... it's me.. BOB!'

'Who?' Christ replies.

'Bob! You know... I go to Fifth-avenue church. I've cast out demons, in your name. I've done signs and wonders and miracles.' (might I go so far as to add... I'm a citizen of the USA, and an Okie.. or Texan... or... you get the idea.)

'But I don't know you.' Christ says solemnly. 'Go away from me...' The word 'know' means any sort of face-to-face relationship with someone, such as a close friend, not a casual knowledge of facts about someone.

In short... there will be MANY THOUSANDS (see 'many' in greek) of 'Christians' in hell. Why??? Aren't they professing that Christ is the Risen one??? Didn't they do miracles? When was the last time you cast out demons or did a miracle? Yet they were cast out of heaven. Why???

Below is the full text of Matthew 7:21-25.

21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?' 23 Then I will announce to them, 'I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!' 24 "Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn't collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn't act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!"

You see, it's not about what we think, feel, whose membership we carry or what our parents taught us. It is not about our acts of service, the miracles we've seen, the committees we've served on or groups that claim us as "good people, too." It has nothing to do about what we wear, what gadgets we own, houses we live in or how much money is in the bank. It's about a one-on-one relationship... communication... with God, the eternal and infinite.

You may say "Jerry, is this one of those "ya gotta get saaaaavvveeedd!" posts?

Yes. It is. Sometimes I do those too. But this isn't directed at just everyone. This is directed at those who think everything's fine. If it is, great. But take a moment to evaluate yourself.

If your slice of reality were to end this weekend (in the storm or not), have you started that relationship? If the end of the world for you were today would you know that God would recognize you, not based on his all-knowing spirit, but based on the fact that you spend time together in honest communication? It's never too late to start.

Thinking of Dr. Phil

Okay... I must admit that I don't do daytime TV. In fact, I rarely even watch TV. Very little of what is on seems appealing to me.

However, I have given full reign of the DVR to my lovely wife. And at times we sit and watch items that she has found interesting. Last night we were flipping through the DVR logs, and found an old Dr. Phil that she hadn't watched yet, so we watched it together. At first, I actually got irate [I mean, red-in-the-face irate!] at how this mother was treating her child. For those that don't know me, I have a VERY soft spot for children.

So Dr. Phil quickly dismissed that guest and brought out guest number two. And my anger quickly faded from red-rage to pink. I could at least finish the show. The change came when Dr. Phil asked a direct, pointed, and incredibly insightful question: "You know that this is something you have to change in YOU, right?"

"Yes." She replied. "I *want* to change it."

It was at this moment that the bells rang the clearest. He looked at her and said: "Okay. Then here it is. Are you ready?"

She nodded with a smile on her face, as if she was going to get the chocholate-fudge double dip that she so longed for...

"STOP DOING THAT!!!" came his sharp reply.

I nearly rolled on the floor. Now, I'm not trying to be vindictive, but the timing could not have been better for humor.

How often do we want to find that our parents or teachers or old next-door-neighbor's-third-cousin-twice-removed have left us in the state we are in? When in reality, it is our own actions. Our own sin. Our own rebellion to the truth.

How often we need to hear the truth: Stop doing that. Many actions we take are not someone else's fault, but are engrained habits that we need to ask for God to convict us of, and then make a mental habit of NOT DOING... whatever it is we've been doing.

As Job says in Job 31:1 :

Job 31:1 - I have made a covenant with my eyes. How then could I look at a young woman?

Sometimes to avoid things in our lives we don't need medical advice or emotional advice. Sometimes we just need to stop doing it.

What are you doing today that you should just walk away from?

My thoughts on Katrina

It seems that every blog under the sun -- from political, to music -- has a posting about this. I have been bouncing off several sights, and I have found one that really seems to put the correct perspective on it all.

I sat down tonight to outline a few topics that were on my mind as of late, but I couldn't get very far. Instead, I found Phil's site again, and it really struck a chord with me.

Now, I'm in Oklahoma, which is quite a far shot from New Orleans. But even here, there are the same undertones about Katrina.

First: It's God striking out against the sin and rebellion. They brought it on themselves.

Oh really? If God is that kind of God, you'd better start running. My God says "for I have come to seek and save that which was lost.", not "I'll strike them for their unwillingness to listen." See my previous posts, and you'll see that I agree God can use this to get people's attention, but I am firmly against that God would do this "to teach the city a lesson." When it comes to punishment, I believe God works on a one-on-one basis. To say that they "got what they deserved" implies that God will always give what is deserved. I don't know about you, but I deserve Hurricane Katrina. (I really do. My past hasn't been Godly in the slightest.) But I praise God that, as Relient K so eloquently put it: "the beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair." God is graceful, not vindictive, and it is by his grace that I trust he will not unleash all that he could on me. I doubt he would unleash that on others, just because they're "not me". I am not that special. 'Nuff said on that.

Second: It's all Bush's fault. Okay, I am with you on the "The Government could have responded better." The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) failed it's people. No, you won't hear me argue that point in the slightest. But to say that the deaths of thousands are because "President Bush stinks as a president" is a heaping Pile of Male Bovine Dung. That would be equivalent to saying it was all MY fault. It wasn't one person's fault, but a system of red-tape that let it's people down. Have you had to file anything with the government lately? I have. In order to get just PERMISSION for my wife to file for residency (she's Canadian) took a year, and my sources say that's an amazing rate!! NOTHING moves quickly through bureaucracy when it is so thick. Do we need to fix it? OF COURSE WE DO! (Duh!) Write your congressman. Vote. Propose new ideas (why do legislators have to do it all? Aren't you a citizen of this country?? If so, it's not just a priviledge to participate, it is expected.) Join a political action committee. Do something. But this is NOT the time to pile salt on their wounds by burying them in red tape AND hateful arguments. And to put the blame on one man because he's a popular scape goat is ridiculous, unjust, and plain-old asinine. Get over it people! Whether you like Bush or not, the fact that FEMA failed isn't his fault. It's FEMA as an organization who is to blame.

And finally: Wow... those people need help. Yes! Exactly! Those are real humans, not political, religious or emotional statistics. Even in Oklahoma, Falls Creek (a youth campground that has dormitory-style housing for its scheduled attendees) cancelled all fall and spring events to house over 3,000 refugees from the wake of Katrina, with schooling, medical care, and all essitials provided. The residents of Oklahoma, (and other surrounding states... I don't want to leave people out) are pitching in, politics be hanged, donating and helping these people restore their lives. The outpouring of releif dispite the national rumblings is incredible to see.

I just want to say thank you to all of those willing to lay aside the doctrinal boundries, politics, hate, stabbing words and division long enough to at least put people's lives back together.

Parties fade. Politics waver. Doctrines and religion crumble. But relationships last forvever. Make those relationships you DO have count, and pitch in to helping people you don't know... build new relationships and put yourself in their shoes. Thanks, Phil, for your words and for sparking Truth when others want to spread hatred.

Understanding the infinite

John 3:9 Nicodemus replied, "How can that be?"

Nicodemus was a man of immense scriptural knowledge. He was a Pharasee, one of the ruling persons of all of Israel. To say that he spent much of his life trying to understand all of the old law is probably an understatement.

Yet, when faced with a homeless wanderer named Jesus, he was stumped about the spiritual. God stepped into Nicodemus' life and shook it up with a simple statement: You must be born again.

We, today, use that phrase as if it were candy, passing it around as though we fully understand the implicaitons of it. Do you, really? Nicodemus thought he had a very good grasp on who God was. But a simple phrase made him stop and re-evaluate all he'd ever known about God. Did God change all of a sudden? Of course not. God is the same today, yesterday and forever. But he did reveal a bit more of his nature to us in his Son.

This, of course, was just prior to Christ's admission of himself as the Savior through the most well-known verse in all scripture: John 3:16. But prior to his statement about himself, Christ spent most of the conversation talking about God's spirit... and our lack of understanding of it.

God is so much more than we can wrap our minds around. But to say that we can't have a relationship with him unless we understand him completely is absurd. When my wife and I were dating, we had to spend alot of time talking on the phone. It was a very long distance relationship. I couldn't smell her hair, or hold her. I had to rely on her voice. But does that mean we didn't have a bone fide relationship? Of course not. I had to learn about her by asking questions, listening to her, getting to know her personality.

On the flip side, did I know all there was to know about her when I asked her to marry me? Not in the slightest. But a relationship isn't about how much we know. Instead, it is about understanding the basics to communicate, then how much we communicate.

And our relationship with God is much the same. It is humanly impossible to understand all there is to God. It is sufficient to know the basics, and then begin to grow that by having continual, open and unrestricted communication.

Let me state that again. Knowing God isn't about knowing the details about God. It's about knowing God. We, as humans, have a fatal flaw. We think that knowing someone means absorbing every possible detail about them.. THEN opening ourselves for a relationship. Call it a survival mechanism, or whatever. But we really are a very untrusting breed of creation.

We think, because we can do something, we should. And if we can't do something, there is a flaw. If we can know the future and all there is to know about God, we should. This is a noble goal, to say the least. And it would rank you very high in acadamia, if you should somehow succeed (see previous posts on this topic).

And on the flip side, if we can't possibly know all there is to know, then there is a flaw. God must not truly exist, or he must not care, or he is distant... or whatever. But the fact of the matter is simple: God is God... meaning, God is in control of the planets, of gravity, of physics, of nature, of everything. We are not. God is God. We aren't.

And faith is that communication layer by which we understand the minimal basics, and through which we open our finite conversations with infinite God. I don't know what God looks like. I didn't really know what Cheryl looked like until I met her in person. But I knew very early that she was wonderful. And when I did meet her, all of my expectations were far exceeded. She is a very beautiful woman. In the same way, I know that God has been very wonderful to me, and I will, someday, know what he looks like as well.

Do you put off knowing God because you can't grasp all there is to know? Do you know the basics, but ignore God because something has shaken your world? Could God be using that moment to challenge your lines of communication... to test yoru faith? Don't let a moment of misunderstandings destroy your life. Spend time with God until you can reconcile that gap in understanding. The rewards of honest communicaiton with God are as immeasurable as God himself.

Accountability: We all need it to grow.

I wrote recently about being the "solo" Christian. That's not only very difficult, it's dangerous. We miss out on love and support to hold us up, and hold us together. But we also miss subtle warnings and rebukes.

How can we receive rebuke from God? [[And don't think that you won't:]]

Jeremiah 30:11 - For I will be with you-this is the Lord's declaration-to save you! I will bring destruction on all the nations where I have scattered you; however, I will not bring destruction on you. I will discipline you justly, but I will by no means leave you unpunished.

Hebrews 12:7 - Endure your discipline. God corrects you as a father corrects his children. All children are disciplined by their fathers.

Hebrews 12:8 - But if you are without discipline--which all receive--then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Proverbs 3:11 - Do not reject the discipline of the LORD, my son, and do not resent his warning...

Job 5:17 - Blessed is the person whom God corrects. That person should not despise discipline from the Almighty.

Revelation 3:19 - As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be committed and repent.

These scriptures don't say if God diciplines. They say when. And just as God's voice can come in so many different ways into our hearts -- from wisdom of friends, to reading the word, to a thought or inner feeling -- his rebuke can also come from many sources.

Job 37:13 - Whether for discipline, or for the good of his earth, or out of mercy, he makes the storm appear.

Isaiah 26:16 - Lord, they went to You in their distress;they poured out whispered prayers because Your discipline fell on them.

Sometimes God uses circumstances to get our attention. Loss of our support structures (Job, organizations, etc) death of a loved one, a car accident, tragic circumstances, or a dip in finances -- only to name a few. But this is the extreme. God speaks softly in teaching. He also speaks only as loud as neccesary.

Proverbs 1:8 - My son, listen to your father's discipline, and do not neglect your mother's teachings,

Jeremiah 35:13 - "This is what the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ... Will you not accept discipline by listening to My words?"

God doesn't break out the destructo-wand for punsihment. He isn't a vengeful person waiting to strike us silly. He wants to rebuke us first with words. Even from our teachers, our parents and others in authoritative roles in our lives, God speaks and corrects our actions. Those things we learned are used in our lives (even after-the-fact) to keep us on the right track.

Sometimes he may use the voice of a friend: someone who we've allowed to hold us accountable. If you haven't given someone that option, God has to speak louder to break throught he noise of life to tell us what we need to hear. Be involved in an active body of those that believe in God, then listen carefully. God will direct you there, and you will find that the rebuke doesn't have to be so strong.

Is God trying to get your attention? Is he going to have to speak louder to get it? Or are you going to stop and respond as Samuel did : "Here I am." (1 Samuel 3:4) or of Mary, the Mother of Jesus "May it be to me as you have said." (Luke 1:38)

Happy Holiday

I hope you all had a fabulous holiday weekend.

In general, I had a great weekend. When I got to work I had a bounce in my step. I was ready to attack the day.

I picked up the photos for a project my wife is working on. I took the car to be worked on. I coordinated a ride to pick up the car, and finished both my projects today... all before noon. I was on fire.

Then I met Kevin for lunch. He proceeded to ask if I knew someone. I had heard of him. "Well, he was in a boating accident. He passed away Sunday." I can't say that I knew him so personally that my world stopped. In fact, the name only barely rang a bell with me.

But it did make me pause. What if he were walking by as I threw out an inappropriate comment? Did he see the pages that hang in my cube and assume "just another hypocrite?" Did he see Jesus in what I do? Or did he see Jerry? I honestly can't say. I know that I've done some things in the past few weeks that COULD give rise to that impression.

I really wish I knew. But to be sure, I will be making some changes. His world changed in a day. I guess mine can, too. If you see or hear me (or even are currious that I MIGHT be) being hypocritical, nail me to the wall. Seriously.

I can't allow my stupidity to let people around me think that God isn't real because I'm not real with them.

That's my thought (and request) for today. Confront me when I am out of line. Challenge me. Tell me, and I promise I will not be offended or upset.

"The Lord chastises those he loves." And in the same manner, don't be surprised if you claim to be a Christian that I don't hold you to higher standards as well. The end of the world comes every day for some people, as was so evident today. We don't have the luxury of being loose with our tongues or actions.

For those that hold me to this... ahead of time, I say: Thanks.

More to come

I've been working on side projects and keeping my sanity. Unfortunately, I haven't taken much time to post as I should.

Have a great Holiday weekend and I'll see you all Monday. Perhaps something new then.

Until then... Pursue a relationship, not actions. Seek wisdom, not knowledge. Find God, not religion.

Religion dies. Doctrine fades. God is everlasting.