My column

So I’m sitting here at work doing, well, nothing really. So…what am I doing since I have nothing to do? I’m listening to a new playlist I made on my iPod called “Hymns”, which I love and I’m reading “Christianity Today” online. I usually read www.foxnews.com and catch up on what’s happening in the US and around the world. Which, I must say, makes my mouth drop open most of the time. I digress…



I was reading an article pertaining to the Lutheran church and how they’ve walked away from the “classic” Biblical teachings they’ve adhered to over the last centuries (or however long they’ve been around. Not a church scholar here.) and have headed into the more liberal direction, now accepting homosexuality as a practice and as acceptable for their clergy.



Note: As I sit here typing this I am thinking off all the lessons/ideas that God is teaching me and pouring into me right now in my life and I smile because looking at them separately you would think how different they all are. But I can see and understand as I sit here that in actuality they can all come together and can affect the thinking on another. Is our God not truly magnificent? I think so.



Back to my little column. J



The author said something in this article that shook me to my core. He said, and I quote [this in regards to how the Lutheran church and some other denominations are viewing the Truth of the Bible] “The Truth of the Bible has been reduced to sincerely-held opinion.” Does this not just make you shudder?



Truth:

-honesty; integrity; truthfulness

-a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle or the like

-accuracy

-ideal or fundamental reality apart from and transcending perceived experience



Yes, it has been reduced. Today’s society is trying and, might I add, is appearing successful in making the Bible a matter of opinion and one that can be chopped up and chewed up and spit out to make it look like whatever they want it to look like. Although I believe God’s power to be bigger and greater than any little schemes we can come up with in our minds. For I know His purpose will prevail on this earth.



I’m currently reading Keith Green’s life story, “No Compromise” by Melody Green (his wife). For those of you out there who have not read this book or don’t really know anything about Keith Green (and I didn’t before reading this book, other than he wrote worship music and well, he was dead), the title of the book is PERFECT in describing Keith Green’s life and devotion to Christ. Be careful in picking up this book. God’s going to do something in your life and if you’re not ready for that, don’t read it.



Anyway, here is a man who read the Bible; took what he read and then lived it out. Simple as that. There was no compromising in the world. For goodness sake, Christians are supposed to look different than non-Christians. So why is the church (generality here, obviously does not apply across the board completely) trying so hard to fit in with the world? I have done it. I have made excuses why I do certain things, or say certain things or wear certain things because I’m using it as ministry to reach these people. I’m living among them and like them so that they’ll accept me and I can share Christ with them. Enough! I make myself sick thinking about it. In fact, the truth of the matter is that by doing that, I am downplaying the power of the Gospel and downplaying the power of my God. I am not being light in the darkness. I am adding to the darkness. I appear no different from the people I’m trying to love on, while telling them that my life is different. How? They’re confused. I’m confused. What to do?



At the risk of being misunderstood here, I’m going to be transparent and share what God has been convicting me of in my life and how I can be that light in the darkness rather than adding to the darkness.



How is God calling me to be “different”; to be light in the darkness? To not ignore the men and women each day who clean our cubicles, acting like they aren’t there. To keep my mouth shut when those around me are talking poorly about a co-worker. To share whatever I have (meaning anything), realizing that they just may need it more than me; and it’s not really mine anyway. To speak Truth when given the opportunity and to speak up when Truth is being degraded or slandered. To keep myself modestly dressed to protect the minds and hearts of brothers in Christ. To look for ways to physically help and serve the people around me. There are so many others. What are yours?



With every “Truth” that I speak to someone, it is being weighed by other factors. The whole time this person is listening to me they are making judgments about me. They are remembering past experiences with me. They are comparing me with their other friends. They are looking for a reason to call me a hypocrite. They’re also looking for these things that I’m telling them to be true in my life. And how can I speak of a life that’s different and wonderful; a life in God, when I don’t show them that it’s any different.



I’m encouraged by, again, Keith Green’s life story. Reading about what he and Melody did in their lives shortly after becoming believers. They took the scripture for what it said. Take care of the widows and orphans. What did they do? Made room for them in their own home and let those women and children live with them, free of charge. And when they had 14 people living in their 3-bedroom house and ran out of room for more, what did they do? They got another house. That’s being different!



Sincerely-held opinion. Everyone has opinions. Some are good; some are bad. Personally, there’s only one opinion I want to hear and that’s God’s. Other people can deliberate over their opinions all they want. I’m not listening.