Last week, I shared with some people (and I think either posted on here or commented on someone else's blog) about my desire to get back into the habit of memorizing Scripture. I'm happy to report that I knocked out 2 verses last week: Philippians 4:6-7. I chose these because I often don't do what they say.
For much of my life, I have struggled with worry and anxiety, even when I can't exactly pinpoint what I'm anxious about. For example, I woke up a couple of mornings last week earlier than planned feeling very nervous and anxious, but for no particular reason. I also do pretty well worrying about specific things too. If there is any type of genetic link to worrying, I'm sure there's some in my family- my mom worries, her mom worried, my grandfather on my dad's side worries, etc. For a while, I just took this to be part of my personality and tried to deal with it.
But, at some point, I realized that if Scripture tells me to act in one way and I'm acting in a different way, I'm sinning. Plus, my worry is demonstrating unbelief in God's sovereignty and goodness- if I believe He's truly in control and loves me, what's the point in worrying? He promises to work things out according to His will and reminds me how my worries don't "help" Him in carrying out His plans. For some odd reason, I seem to have no trouble trusting in God for my eternal security, yet struggle to trust Him when it comes to details of my life and those I care about.
Perhaps some of you may be disappointed to know that I don't have an easy, 4-step outline to stopping worry and anxiety. If I did, I certainly would have applied it by now. All I can do is trust God, rely on Him daily, turn to Him regularly, by grace seek to defeat the temptation to worry and be thankful for His forgiveness when I fall short. We all have our thorns in the flesh that we must struggle with and battle, lest we think we're more spiritual than others. That always takes me back to Romans 7, where I see how struggling by God's grace is a part of life. I feel like I've made some progress over the last few years and I'm really thankful for that. But my hope and prayer is that I will continue to move forward and be able to trust God that much more as I grow more mature and closer to Heaven.
-JRO
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Godly women
In my previous post on godly men, Jenn challenged me to do a similar post on women- without offending anyone. So, I will try my best to talk about attributes/characteristics of godly women, but I won't make any promises about not offending anyone ;-)
The main passages of Scripture that come to mind when I think of a picture of a godly woman are Proverbs 31, 1 Peter 3, 1 Timothy 2:9-10. So, I thought I'd tackle this by listing each of the characteristics brought out in these passages.
Prov 31:
-A godly woman is a woman of noble character: someone of good character and reputation.
-She is a hard worker.
-She takes care of her family (if applicable).
-She is generous to the needy.
-If married, she enhances the reputation of her husband because of her character.
-She has a good outlook on life.
-She is wise and speaks wisdom to others.
-Above all, she fears God- knows God, is growing, seeks first His kingdom.
1 Peter 3:
-She is submissive to the authority God has placed in her life (husband, church leaders, workplace, civil authority, etc).
-She lives a lifestyle characterized by purity and holiness that serves as a testimony to others.
-Her true beauty comes from within, not from things like fancy clothes, makeup, or showing off body parts.
1 Timothy 2:9-10:
-She dresses modestly.
-She lives a life rich in good deeds.
These are the major passages that deal with attributes of godly women. However, the Bible is also contains some good examples of women who lived these out (Ruth for example). And, of course, there are a lot of more general attributes listed in the Bible that are applicable to both men and women (obedience, faithfulness, love, generosity, hope, joy to name a few).
Just think of how much better off our churches and families would be if we all truly made an effort to live into the Biblical mold for what our lives should look like, as opposed to trying to conform to what this society says they should. But, such an effort isn't easy, won't happen overnight and requires that we depend on God. Those are my first thoughts on this question... I welcome further insight or questions.
-JRO
The main passages of Scripture that come to mind when I think of a picture of a godly woman are Proverbs 31, 1 Peter 3, 1 Timothy 2:9-10. So, I thought I'd tackle this by listing each of the characteristics brought out in these passages.
Prov 31:
-A godly woman is a woman of noble character: someone of good character and reputation.
-She is a hard worker.
-She takes care of her family (if applicable).
-She is generous to the needy.
-If married, she enhances the reputation of her husband because of her character.
-She has a good outlook on life.
-She is wise and speaks wisdom to others.
-Above all, she fears God- knows God, is growing, seeks first His kingdom.
1 Peter 3:
-She is submissive to the authority God has placed in her life (husband, church leaders, workplace, civil authority, etc).
-She lives a lifestyle characterized by purity and holiness that serves as a testimony to others.
-Her true beauty comes from within, not from things like fancy clothes, makeup, or showing off body parts.
1 Timothy 2:9-10:
-She dresses modestly.
-She lives a life rich in good deeds.
These are the major passages that deal with attributes of godly women. However, the Bible is also contains some good examples of women who lived these out (Ruth for example). And, of course, there are a lot of more general attributes listed in the Bible that are applicable to both men and women (obedience, faithfulness, love, generosity, hope, joy to name a few).
Just think of how much better off our churches and families would be if we all truly made an effort to live into the Biblical mold for what our lives should look like, as opposed to trying to conform to what this society says they should. But, such an effort isn't easy, won't happen overnight and requires that we depend on God. Those are my first thoughts on this question... I welcome further insight or questions.
-JRO
Monday, August 28, 2006
Real Men
In my last post, I complained about girly men and some of problems with them. As promised, I am going to now talk about what I think should be true of men. I'm sure all of my regular readers know that I'm a Christian and believe in the authority of the Bible, so that is going to form the basis of a lot of my thoughts on this. However, I think even if you don't share my views on this, you should be able to see the truth behind a lot of these characteristics.
Men were created to take responsibility and be leaders. When Adam was put on Earth, he was given jobs to do- it was up to him to name the animals; it was his ultimate responsibility. He also should have demonstrated leadership and stepped up when Eve picked up that apple. Other men have done a good job of demonstrating this trait too- Noah taking the initiative to create the ark, Moses taking on the responsibility of leading Israel, etc. We were created to take leadership roles in our families, churches and businesses.
Men are to be bold. We are shown examples of great men who would stand up for themselves and others and confront others. Paul rebuked Peter, Jesus rebuked people all the time, many writers had some pretty harsh things to say to their readers. This is not like the passivity encouraged by our politically-correct, afraid of offending anyone culture. When confrontation is necessary, then we are called on to rebuke, correct, or discipline someone- it's for their own good. Allowing someone to continue in a sinful pattern of life that hurts others isn't doing them any good. It's taking the easy way out in the interest of not offending them.
Men were also designed to show obedience and faith. Noah built the ark by faith, Abram left everything he knew on faith, Moses led the people into the Red Sea by faith, etc. These men had all met God and were taking steps of faith. They didn't have a fortune teller to show them what would happen, but instead just took God at His word and went forward into the realm of uncertainty. This one is really hard- I always like to know what's going to happen or feel like I have some control over what happens. But, the example I have to follow is guys who didn't know, but saw a great reward ahead for which it was worth risking it all.
Men are also made to be creative. The Bible says that men were created in His image and God created the heavens and earth. God also gave man the freedom to do as he pleased in the Garden of Eden (within bounds of course). So, I think we all have creativity within us that a lot of times we don't explore. A lot of great men have shown this streak- authors, entrepreneurs, composers, architects, and so on. But even those of us who don't do things that are recognized by the world can be creative. I like to think that I can express my creativity in coming up with good lectures, Bible studies, writing, cooking (yes I do that sometimes), planning dates, etc.
Those are the first few attributes that come to mind. I'm sure there are others and I would certainly welcome any additional suggestions you may have or comments you may have based on these.
-JRO
Men were created to take responsibility and be leaders. When Adam was put on Earth, he was given jobs to do- it was up to him to name the animals; it was his ultimate responsibility. He also should have demonstrated leadership and stepped up when Eve picked up that apple. Other men have done a good job of demonstrating this trait too- Noah taking the initiative to create the ark, Moses taking on the responsibility of leading Israel, etc. We were created to take leadership roles in our families, churches and businesses.
Men are to be bold. We are shown examples of great men who would stand up for themselves and others and confront others. Paul rebuked Peter, Jesus rebuked people all the time, many writers had some pretty harsh things to say to their readers. This is not like the passivity encouraged by our politically-correct, afraid of offending anyone culture. When confrontation is necessary, then we are called on to rebuke, correct, or discipline someone- it's for their own good. Allowing someone to continue in a sinful pattern of life that hurts others isn't doing them any good. It's taking the easy way out in the interest of not offending them.
Men were also designed to show obedience and faith. Noah built the ark by faith, Abram left everything he knew on faith, Moses led the people into the Red Sea by faith, etc. These men had all met God and were taking steps of faith. They didn't have a fortune teller to show them what would happen, but instead just took God at His word and went forward into the realm of uncertainty. This one is really hard- I always like to know what's going to happen or feel like I have some control over what happens. But, the example I have to follow is guys who didn't know, but saw a great reward ahead for which it was worth risking it all.
Men are also made to be creative. The Bible says that men were created in His image and God created the heavens and earth. God also gave man the freedom to do as he pleased in the Garden of Eden (within bounds of course). So, I think we all have creativity within us that a lot of times we don't explore. A lot of great men have shown this streak- authors, entrepreneurs, composers, architects, and so on. But even those of us who don't do things that are recognized by the world can be creative. I like to think that I can express my creativity in coming up with good lectures, Bible studies, writing, cooking (yes I do that sometimes), planning dates, etc.
Those are the first few attributes that come to mind. I'm sure there are others and I would certainly welcome any additional suggestions you may have or comments you may have based on these.
-JRO
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Girly men
About two years ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger called members of the California legislature "girly men." Not necessarily the smartest comment made by a public figure, but nevertheless, I think it holds some truth today in America and in the church. I've just finished a book called No More Christian Nice Guy and I think it makes some very good points.
For one thing, it seems as if this culture can't figure out what real manhood looks like. On the one hand, there's the "macho" image- a guy who is cocky, acts as if he has everything together and doesn't show emotions. People have seen the negative side of the macho guy and seem to have overreacted by thinking being a girly, passive man is the answer. I'm afraid that's not any better- women don't want to date and marry passive men, employees don't want to hire or work for them anymore than the fake macho guys.
Sadly, I think this problem isn't any better (and in fact may be worse) within the church. The cultural norm for interactions between men encourages these extremes. For example, men often engage in surfacy small-talk and aren't willing to really be vulnerable with each other. It takes effort to find those who genuinely want to know what's going on in your life and stand with you in that. This leads to the impression that godly men are those who have everything together and forgets that we all struggle with stuff. I am so thankful for other guys who have listened to my struggles without freaking out and have been honest and vulnerable with their own ones. The Bible tells us that a godly man is one with a heart after God living a changed life and seeking to mortify sin, but still struggling with sin (not perfect).
Alternatively, we're also given the impression that a godly man is a pushover who acccepts mistreatment of himself and others without taking a stand or confronting people. This isn't exactly how Jesus and the apostles acted. They were bold and confronational when necessary, but also showed genuine kindness and gentleness when needed. I think a sad consequence of this false picture of godliness is men who are afraid to take a stand for what is right, for fear of offending someone and don't step up and lead as God intends. This isn't good for churches, businesses, relationships, families, or the Kingdom.
Now that I've complained about the problems, perhaps I'll give my thoughts on what manhood does look like and how to combat these problems in some future posts.
-JRO
For one thing, it seems as if this culture can't figure out what real manhood looks like. On the one hand, there's the "macho" image- a guy who is cocky, acts as if he has everything together and doesn't show emotions. People have seen the negative side of the macho guy and seem to have overreacted by thinking being a girly, passive man is the answer. I'm afraid that's not any better- women don't want to date and marry passive men, employees don't want to hire or work for them anymore than the fake macho guys.
Sadly, I think this problem isn't any better (and in fact may be worse) within the church. The cultural norm for interactions between men encourages these extremes. For example, men often engage in surfacy small-talk and aren't willing to really be vulnerable with each other. It takes effort to find those who genuinely want to know what's going on in your life and stand with you in that. This leads to the impression that godly men are those who have everything together and forgets that we all struggle with stuff. I am so thankful for other guys who have listened to my struggles without freaking out and have been honest and vulnerable with their own ones. The Bible tells us that a godly man is one with a heart after God living a changed life and seeking to mortify sin, but still struggling with sin (not perfect).
Alternatively, we're also given the impression that a godly man is a pushover who acccepts mistreatment of himself and others without taking a stand or confronting people. This isn't exactly how Jesus and the apostles acted. They were bold and confronational when necessary, but also showed genuine kindness and gentleness when needed. I think a sad consequence of this false picture of godliness is men who are afraid to take a stand for what is right, for fear of offending someone and don't step up and lead as God intends. This isn't good for churches, businesses, relationships, families, or the Kingdom.
Now that I've complained about the problems, perhaps I'll give my thoughts on what manhood does look like and how to combat these problems in some future posts.
-JRO
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
For my fellow blog nerds...
I just discovered a cool new feature on Facebook (My Notes) that will allow you to incorporate the feed from your Blogger blog into Facebook. It appears to take the first little bit of your recent posts and put them in your profile and then allow people to see the rest of the entry by clicking on it. You can check out my Facebook profile and see how it works.
-JRO
-JRO
Monday, August 21, 2006
Back to school
Well, today officially marked the start of the fall semester and therefore my first day back at work for the fall. I've enjoyed having the summer free from teaching, but at the same time, I'm ready to start back.
I'm thankful for the opportunities I've had this summer. I was able to finish up some things I've been putting off for far too long (painting my house, re-doing my personal web site), I got to get more involved with some ministry stuff at church (leading a summer Bible study, speaking 3 times at 20-something), got to enjoy some river & beach time, have been running better than I ever have. But, beyond that, what probably was the biggest blessing this summer was getting to hang out and spend time with some really great friends. It seems like during the year, we're all busy with work and other things and don't have that much time to spend together (that plus I go to bed early). So, I'm quite thankful for the river trips, races, Thursday & Saturday nights, lunches, par-3 trips, etc. over the past few months. I also was reminded of how much we need others in our lives. There were some times this summer when I was bummed out, disappointed, confused, excited, etc. and it seems to great to be able to share those moments with others.
So, as I go back to work this week, I'm thankful for this past summer. I hope that I can continue to make things like ministry and relationships a priority in my life and not allow them to be choked out by the grind. I'm also excited about what lies ahead: the opportunity to get to know about 120 new students, to help prepare them for their futures and hopefully to model to them what an authentically joyful, passionate life looks like. I'm also planning to get started looking into some potential research interests and see where that leads me- maybe down the PhD road in the future? It would be neat to be able to spend next summer working on a paper, book, or something along those lines. I certainly do have a creative streak in me that gets excited at the prospect of doing something like that. I'm sure there will be a lot of other things I'll do, learn and experience over the next 9 months. So, I'm looking ahead with anticipation. I believe that God will work all things together for my ultimate good, whatever those things are.
-JRO
I'm thankful for the opportunities I've had this summer. I was able to finish up some things I've been putting off for far too long (painting my house, re-doing my personal web site), I got to get more involved with some ministry stuff at church (leading a summer Bible study, speaking 3 times at 20-something), got to enjoy some river & beach time, have been running better than I ever have. But, beyond that, what probably was the biggest blessing this summer was getting to hang out and spend time with some really great friends. It seems like during the year, we're all busy with work and other things and don't have that much time to spend together (that plus I go to bed early). So, I'm quite thankful for the river trips, races, Thursday & Saturday nights, lunches, par-3 trips, etc. over the past few months. I also was reminded of how much we need others in our lives. There were some times this summer when I was bummed out, disappointed, confused, excited, etc. and it seems to great to be able to share those moments with others.
So, as I go back to work this week, I'm thankful for this past summer. I hope that I can continue to make things like ministry and relationships a priority in my life and not allow them to be choked out by the grind. I'm also excited about what lies ahead: the opportunity to get to know about 120 new students, to help prepare them for their futures and hopefully to model to them what an authentically joyful, passionate life looks like. I'm also planning to get started looking into some potential research interests and see where that leads me- maybe down the PhD road in the future? It would be neat to be able to spend next summer working on a paper, book, or something along those lines. I certainly do have a creative streak in me that gets excited at the prospect of doing something like that. I'm sure there will be a lot of other things I'll do, learn and experience over the next 9 months. So, I'm looking ahead with anticipation. I believe that God will work all things together for my ultimate good, whatever those things are.
-JRO
Calvinism growing?
I saw something interesting over at Between Two Worlds- evidently Christianity Today has a cover story in their newest issue about the growth of Calvinism among the 20-something crowd in the church today. So, apparently I'm not alone in being a 20-something Calvinist. I especially like the t-shirt the guy on the cover is wearing: Jonathan Edwards is My Homeboy.
-JRO
-JRO
Monday, August 14, 2006
More on honesty & truth
It's kind of funny how things work out sometimes- what some would call coincidence, but I call providence. Last week, God was certainly reminding me of a lesson He'd taught me time and time before. But, for whatever reason, I seem to easily forget and need those reminders more often than I should. Through some Scripture I was reading and a couple of songs I was listening to, I was really thinking about the other side of the truth issue: not only are we called to be truthful in what we say/do to others, but also in what we believe and tell ourselves.
So, with all this bouncing around in my head, our pastor basically spoke about some of the same stuff on Saturday night. Hmm... another reminder?
This is something I have struggled with and I really don't think I'm alone in that. It seems like we often are shaped by what happens to us, what we're told, etc. and often allow those messages to stick with us. And, we're often fooled into thinking that the thoughts we have, whether they be negative thoughts about self or others, temptation, or any other untruthful thoughts comes from within ourselves. In truth, they often don't. Sure, we open ourselves up to some of these through what we feed our minds, how we dwell on them, etc., but ultimately these come from Satan, who is in the business of lies.
I've found that the key to fighting against this is twofold: being in the Word to know the truth and fighting to cling to that. When I'm tempted by something the world has to offer, I have to make a point of reminding myself of what I know to be true. Sometimes that literally means leaving a room and saying "It's a lie" out loud. I think this is why the psalmists sometimes make reference to speaking to their souls- their feelings and emotions may deceive them, but they are clinging to what they know to be true. This is what I strive for- to allow the truth stored up in my heart to lead my emotions/feelings/thoughts and keep them in line.
This reminds me of a song (I think by Casting Crowns) with these lyrics:
Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.
We've been given access to the voice of truth, so let's focus our ears on that truth as opposed to the lies all around us.
-JRO
So, with all this bouncing around in my head, our pastor basically spoke about some of the same stuff on Saturday night. Hmm... another reminder?
This is something I have struggled with and I really don't think I'm alone in that. It seems like we often are shaped by what happens to us, what we're told, etc. and often allow those messages to stick with us. And, we're often fooled into thinking that the thoughts we have, whether they be negative thoughts about self or others, temptation, or any other untruthful thoughts comes from within ourselves. In truth, they often don't. Sure, we open ourselves up to some of these through what we feed our minds, how we dwell on them, etc., but ultimately these come from Satan, who is in the business of lies.
I've found that the key to fighting against this is twofold: being in the Word to know the truth and fighting to cling to that. When I'm tempted by something the world has to offer, I have to make a point of reminding myself of what I know to be true. Sometimes that literally means leaving a room and saying "It's a lie" out loud. I think this is why the psalmists sometimes make reference to speaking to their souls- their feelings and emotions may deceive them, but they are clinging to what they know to be true. This is what I strive for- to allow the truth stored up in my heart to lead my emotions/feelings/thoughts and keep them in line.
This reminds me of a song (I think by Casting Crowns) with these lyrics:
Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.
We've been given access to the voice of truth, so let's focus our ears on that truth as opposed to the lies all around us.
-JRO
Thursday, August 10, 2006
The last part of the hot tub posts (maybe)
I was reading a devotion a few minutes ago in Life as a Vapor by John Piper and it made me think that I may have left out a key point in my posts about hot tub religion. So, I thought I'd do a quick follow-up on those.
One of my points earlier was how in today's culture of not wanting to offend people and feeling good about yourself, that we overlook the hard commands of Scripture. I certainly think this is true and it bothers me to see that lack of concern for holiness that people have nowadays. I was just praying today that God would really cause me to hate sin- not just the consequences of sin and not just those that are taboo, but even the "little" sins. I'm sure that if we all really saw it for what it was, we would hate sin and really desire to turn away from it. But, alas, we have that fallen nature we battle with.
Anyways, on to my point... I did not mean to imply that holiness is about following a list of do's & don'ts. That certainly isn't true- just look at how the Pharisees went about seeking holiness and what Jesus had to say to them. Rather, I think the teachings of Christ (and the rest of the NT) are clear that holiness is a heart thing. We need to be transformed daily so that our hearts are inclined to Christ and the Spirit helps us to see how we apply God's Word to our lives. Of course, the Bible is a key part of this and does outline some things that we should & shouldn't do. But, God is surely more concerned with our hearts- after all, what's in the heart manifests itself in how we speak and act. We can sin sitting still in the middle of Panera (like I did last week) without speaking a word or moving a muscle.
One of the things that has made the biggest difference in my own walk and struggle with sin is to stop focusing on fighting sin. Instead, my key is to each morning go to God through prayer and the Bible to allow Him to satisfy me and transform my mind, so that sin starts to lose its taste. After all, God provides us pleasures forevermore, satisfies us more than the richest meal, and is our exceeding joy (Psalms 16, 63, 43). When you have a Ruth's Chris steak before you, why go after a McDonald's burger that has been sitting on the floor for a week?
And, thankfully, when we do go after lesser things, God by His grace picks us up and gives us the strength to go on...
-JRO
One of my points earlier was how in today's culture of not wanting to offend people and feeling good about yourself, that we overlook the hard commands of Scripture. I certainly think this is true and it bothers me to see that lack of concern for holiness that people have nowadays. I was just praying today that God would really cause me to hate sin- not just the consequences of sin and not just those that are taboo, but even the "little" sins. I'm sure that if we all really saw it for what it was, we would hate sin and really desire to turn away from it. But, alas, we have that fallen nature we battle with.
Anyways, on to my point... I did not mean to imply that holiness is about following a list of do's & don'ts. That certainly isn't true- just look at how the Pharisees went about seeking holiness and what Jesus had to say to them. Rather, I think the teachings of Christ (and the rest of the NT) are clear that holiness is a heart thing. We need to be transformed daily so that our hearts are inclined to Christ and the Spirit helps us to see how we apply God's Word to our lives. Of course, the Bible is a key part of this and does outline some things that we should & shouldn't do. But, God is surely more concerned with our hearts- after all, what's in the heart manifests itself in how we speak and act. We can sin sitting still in the middle of Panera (like I did last week) without speaking a word or moving a muscle.
One of the things that has made the biggest difference in my own walk and struggle with sin is to stop focusing on fighting sin. Instead, my key is to each morning go to God through prayer and the Bible to allow Him to satisfy me and transform my mind, so that sin starts to lose its taste. After all, God provides us pleasures forevermore, satisfies us more than the richest meal, and is our exceeding joy (Psalms 16, 63, 43). When you have a Ruth's Chris steak before you, why go after a McDonald's burger that has been sitting on the floor for a week?
And, thankfully, when we do go after lesser things, God by His grace picks us up and gives us the strength to go on...
-JRO
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
My addition to the honesty issue
In case you don't read Sam's blog, he had a couple of posts within the last week or so dealing with honesty. Through some stuff God's been teaching me, I've been reading and experiencing, I thought I might add some of my own thoughts on another angle of honesty.
Within the culture of the American church, it seems as if we are encouraged to avoid confrontation at all costs. After all, it could offend someone, or show that we aren't abiding by the cultural norms we're expected to follow. To prove this point, think about how many instances of church discipline you can think of. Or, how many times when someone has sinned against you have you chosen to ignore it as opposed to pointing it out to them and lovingly correcting them? If you're anything like me, you're probably more likely to not deal with it and instead just turn the other cheek (not out of a desire for holiness, but to avoid conflict). Or, how often do we genuinely rebuke fellow believers?
I think the teachings of Scripture and people in Scripture look quite a bit different than what we expect "proper Christians" to look like nowadays. Jesus called people sons of the devil, He had no problem calling people out. Paul confronted Peter to his face and made a comment to the effect of wishing the Judaizers would castrate themselves. This seems to be a far cry from how we collectively act and deal with sin and conflict these days. These guys weren't afraid of confrontation and did what was necessary. I don't think they went around looking for conflicts, but they were honest in pointing out others' sins to them in a way that looked out for their best interest.
I think the right way is to confront someone and deal with an issue, not to ignore it and harbor negative feelings or to gossip behind their backs (with the excuse of it being a "prayer request"). This isn't easy; I certainly struggle to do this, but when I have dealt with people in this way, the result seems to be for the best. But regardless of how it turns out, I know that I am honestly and lovingly pointing out what the issue is. If I did something to offend someone else, I would certainly rather them point that out to me than to hold a grudge against me or to gossip about it behind my back. I think this would go a long way in maintaining unity among the Body and living at peace with others.
"...Encourage and rebuke with all authority..." (Titus 2:15)
-JRO
Within the culture of the American church, it seems as if we are encouraged to avoid confrontation at all costs. After all, it could offend someone, or show that we aren't abiding by the cultural norms we're expected to follow. To prove this point, think about how many instances of church discipline you can think of. Or, how many times when someone has sinned against you have you chosen to ignore it as opposed to pointing it out to them and lovingly correcting them? If you're anything like me, you're probably more likely to not deal with it and instead just turn the other cheek (not out of a desire for holiness, but to avoid conflict). Or, how often do we genuinely rebuke fellow believers?
I think the teachings of Scripture and people in Scripture look quite a bit different than what we expect "proper Christians" to look like nowadays. Jesus called people sons of the devil, He had no problem calling people out. Paul confronted Peter to his face and made a comment to the effect of wishing the Judaizers would castrate themselves. This seems to be a far cry from how we collectively act and deal with sin and conflict these days. These guys weren't afraid of confrontation and did what was necessary. I don't think they went around looking for conflicts, but they were honest in pointing out others' sins to them in a way that looked out for their best interest.
I think the right way is to confront someone and deal with an issue, not to ignore it and harbor negative feelings or to gossip behind their backs (with the excuse of it being a "prayer request"). This isn't easy; I certainly struggle to do this, but when I have dealt with people in this way, the result seems to be for the best. But regardless of how it turns out, I know that I am honestly and lovingly pointing out what the issue is. If I did something to offend someone else, I would certainly rather them point that out to me than to hold a grudge against me or to gossip about it behind my back. I think this would go a long way in maintaining unity among the Body and living at peace with others.
"...Encourage and rebuke with all authority..." (Titus 2:15)
-JRO
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Accountability groups
I saw a link to a very good article over at Between Two Worlds dealing with accountability groups. Since I'm overseeing some groups at my church, I thought I'd check it out... the author offers some good tips for keeping these groups Christ-centered and not falling into the traps of legalism or cheap grace.
Check it out here. If you're in some type of accountability group, you may want to discuss this with your other group members to evaluate areas where your group may be able to grow.
-JRO
Check it out here. If you're in some type of accountability group, you may want to discuss this with your other group members to evaluate areas where your group may be able to grow.
-JRO
A follow-up on the hot tub
After writing my earlier post on hot tub religion, it occurred to me that I had more to say along those lines, so I thought that warranted a second post. While in the last one, it seemed the thoughts focused in on the idea of suffering/trials, my angle here is slightly different.
One of the other results of hot tub religion is overlooking some of the harder teachings of the Bible. For example, those who practice hot tub type religion seem to forget that the Bible says things like those who live in a lifestyle of sin have no place in the Kingdom, that our conduct needs to be above reproach, that serving God and anything else isn't possible, that divorce displeases God, that friendship with the world is hatred towards God, etc. There are tons of other examples of Biblical truth that a lot of Christians (and Christian teachers for that matter) tend to overlook.
In today's PC environment, we're told not to step on others' toes or say something that may be offensive. However, Christ told us that the gospel would divide even families (Mt 10:33-35). We have a responsibility to search out the Bible and accept what it says- we either accept God as He truly is or we end up making an idol out of how we think He should be. Choosing to selectively read and apply portions of the Bible doesn't work. He's given us the whole thing and expects that we read, study, live, practice and teach the whole thing- not just the parts that make us feel good or paint a picture of God as we'd like Him to be. That's where cults get their start- taking what they want out of the Bible (usually out of context) and ignoring the things that they don't like.
I heard Tommy Nelson say a while back (while talking about the importance of knowing the Bible), "What are you going to tell Habakkuk when you see him in Heaven? Good book... I skimmed it once." (or something to that effect; I don't remember the exact quote)
My challenge to myself is to really get serious about reading, studying and memorizing the Word... hard to think of a more worthwhile endeavor.
-JRO
One of the other results of hot tub religion is overlooking some of the harder teachings of the Bible. For example, those who practice hot tub type religion seem to forget that the Bible says things like those who live in a lifestyle of sin have no place in the Kingdom, that our conduct needs to be above reproach, that serving God and anything else isn't possible, that divorce displeases God, that friendship with the world is hatred towards God, etc. There are tons of other examples of Biblical truth that a lot of Christians (and Christian teachers for that matter) tend to overlook.
In today's PC environment, we're told not to step on others' toes or say something that may be offensive. However, Christ told us that the gospel would divide even families (Mt 10:33-35). We have a responsibility to search out the Bible and accept what it says- we either accept God as He truly is or we end up making an idol out of how we think He should be. Choosing to selectively read and apply portions of the Bible doesn't work. He's given us the whole thing and expects that we read, study, live, practice and teach the whole thing- not just the parts that make us feel good or paint a picture of God as we'd like Him to be. That's where cults get their start- taking what they want out of the Bible (usually out of context) and ignoring the things that they don't like.
I heard Tommy Nelson say a while back (while talking about the importance of knowing the Bible), "What are you going to tell Habakkuk when you see him in Heaven? Good book... I skimmed it once." (or something to that effect; I don't remember the exact quote)
My challenge to myself is to really get serious about reading, studying and memorizing the Word... hard to think of a more worthwhile endeavor.
-JRO
Monday, August 07, 2006
Blogs in the news again
In case you haven't been following the news lately, bloggers have once again uncovered another scandal at a major news outlet. Two different blogs discovered Reuters photos that had been doctored by one freelance photographer (link).
This brings back memories of the whole Rathergate ordeal during the 2004 presidential election and I think really says something about interesting some of the new trends in the world. Who could have imagined a few years ago how much power individual people with blogs would have? The whole concept of a couple of individuals uncovering big problems in major news outlets really does show how much the playing field has been leveled in this economy (sounds like that's right out of The World is Flat).
I doubt my blog will ever have the following that some of those do, but it is cool to think about how many people out there could possibly be influenced by my blog in some way, shape, or form. It definitely does seem like we as individuals do have a lot more power these days to voice our opinions to the world, partner with people all over the world, etc. As a Christian, I hope that through my blog (whether I'm writing about theology or Windows Vista), I could be doing my job as an ambassador for God and influencing people in that way. After all, as much as I enjoy talking about computers, politics, etc., nothing has the significance of whether or not someone lives this life and the next in a relationship with God. Everything else is all details... so I'm hoping to use what little influence I have here for a purpose. I suppose I could slightly alter a John Piper quote and say, "Don't waste your blog."
-JRO
This brings back memories of the whole Rathergate ordeal during the 2004 presidential election and I think really says something about interesting some of the new trends in the world. Who could have imagined a few years ago how much power individual people with blogs would have? The whole concept of a couple of individuals uncovering big problems in major news outlets really does show how much the playing field has been leveled in this economy (sounds like that's right out of The World is Flat).
I doubt my blog will ever have the following that some of those do, but it is cool to think about how many people out there could possibly be influenced by my blog in some way, shape, or form. It definitely does seem like we as individuals do have a lot more power these days to voice our opinions to the world, partner with people all over the world, etc. As a Christian, I hope that through my blog (whether I'm writing about theology or Windows Vista), I could be doing my job as an ambassador for God and influencing people in that way. After all, as much as I enjoy talking about computers, politics, etc., nothing has the significance of whether or not someone lives this life and the next in a relationship with God. Everything else is all details... so I'm hoping to use what little influence I have here for a purpose. I suppose I could slightly alter a John Piper quote and say, "Don't waste your blog."
-JRO
Saturday, August 05, 2006
"Hot tub religion"
I'm borrowing the title of this blog from a chapter in God's Plans for You by J.I. Packer. I read it a while ago and it's a great book; I'd highly recommend it to those interested in a good general book about the Christian life. I happened to glance at the chapter title and it reminded me of some stuff I've been thinking about lately.
It seems like what a lot of people want is a hot tub religion: one that makes them feel good and comfortable, but when they start to get too hot, they can get right back out again. I see this in a lot of the beliefs people have, books they read, etc. They want a god who will help them live a happy, comfortable life, but never ask them to endure trials or do something that makes them feel uncomfortable. People say they believe in God, but aren't willing to change their life in a way that honors Him.
This is a radical difference from what early Christians believed. Read the Bible and you'll find a group of people that are so content and satisfied with God that they don't have a need for material possessions, don't mind facing real suffering and are glad to be stretched to take steps of faith. It seems like (to borrow another one of Packer's terms), today's professing Christians need to "get serious." That is, realize that Christianity is about more than a one-time decision. Now, I think we absolutely do need to come to a point where we decide to give our lives to Christ. But, if we have genuine faith, that will come out in a lifestyle that seeks to honor God and accepts the good as well as the seemingly bad and challenging.
I think this idea of "hot tub religion" is a product of humanism creeping into Christianity. We (myself included) seem to have a hard time believing that God would ordain things like challenges and sometimes even suffering for His saints. But, if we look past our humanistic tendencies to who God is, we can see the real picture and understand that He can still love us even as things aren't all blessings and comfort.
For the record, I do love hot tubs and hope to own one someday!
-JRO
It seems like what a lot of people want is a hot tub religion: one that makes them feel good and comfortable, but when they start to get too hot, they can get right back out again. I see this in a lot of the beliefs people have, books they read, etc. They want a god who will help them live a happy, comfortable life, but never ask them to endure trials or do something that makes them feel uncomfortable. People say they believe in God, but aren't willing to change their life in a way that honors Him.
This is a radical difference from what early Christians believed. Read the Bible and you'll find a group of people that are so content and satisfied with God that they don't have a need for material possessions, don't mind facing real suffering and are glad to be stretched to take steps of faith. It seems like (to borrow another one of Packer's terms), today's professing Christians need to "get serious." That is, realize that Christianity is about more than a one-time decision. Now, I think we absolutely do need to come to a point where we decide to give our lives to Christ. But, if we have genuine faith, that will come out in a lifestyle that seeks to honor God and accepts the good as well as the seemingly bad and challenging.
I think this idea of "hot tub religion" is a product of humanism creeping into Christianity. We (myself included) seem to have a hard time believing that God would ordain things like challenges and sometimes even suffering for His saints. But, if we look past our humanistic tendencies to who God is, we can see the real picture and understand that He can still love us even as things aren't all blessings and comfort.
For the record, I do love hot tubs and hope to own one someday!
-JRO
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Winning at all costs
It sure seems like today's culture applauds winning, regardless of what the means to achieve that victory are. I've been reminded of that lately by the doping scandals that are so prevalent in many major sports (baseball, track & field, cylcling). But, I think this attitude extends off of the field as well. Just look at the corporate scandals of the last several years. That was basically executives who were so focused on driving up their stock prices that they were willing to deceive shareholders (the people they're supposed to be working for) and cheat employees (those who are actually creating the value). Those execs are certainly nothing like the servant leaders talked about by so many leading management writers and professors (of course using the concept introduced by Christ 2000 years ago).
I see this same attitude on the college campus today (and saw it when I was in school too). Students want to win (get a good job), so they are willing to do whatever it takes to get there- sometimes by good means like studying and doing homework, other times by bad means like cheating. Sadly, I've seen too many colleagues look the other way or let a student off with a slap on the wrist for cheating. Cheating disgusts me and I see it as a threat to the educational process. But, I suppose that to someone who wants to get ahead, it represents that little bit of an extra edge.
My fear is that as long as this culture focuses on the end, regardless of the means and slips further into moral relativism that things will just get worse. After all, if there is no absolute right & wrong, then maybe cheating or doping is OK for some because they don't think it's wrong. I miss the days when sports heroes and the like played fairly, led respectable lives and at least appeared to operate with integrity and we collectively cared about the means to an end. Now, I'm sure I'm not the only one left who feels this way, but it does seem like a lot of people aren't necessarily acting that out anymore. After all, fame, fortune and success can be awfully tempting... what would you be willing to do to get there? Tell a little white lie? Stab someone in the back? Cheat? Deceive a boss/shareholders?
I don't think most people who get involved in this stuff set out that way. Instead, I think they gradually become desensitized to it and before they know it, they're in deep. What maybe started out as "embellishing" a resume turns into cooking the books years later, or taking home paper & pens from work turns into embezzling.
So, I applaud the guy who passes on a promotion because he knows it would require compromising his integrity or the coach who benches his quarterback over a team rules violation. Those are the people we should look up to, not those who do whatever is necessary to get ahead.
-JRO
I see this same attitude on the college campus today (and saw it when I was in school too). Students want to win (get a good job), so they are willing to do whatever it takes to get there- sometimes by good means like studying and doing homework, other times by bad means like cheating. Sadly, I've seen too many colleagues look the other way or let a student off with a slap on the wrist for cheating. Cheating disgusts me and I see it as a threat to the educational process. But, I suppose that to someone who wants to get ahead, it represents that little bit of an extra edge.
My fear is that as long as this culture focuses on the end, regardless of the means and slips further into moral relativism that things will just get worse. After all, if there is no absolute right & wrong, then maybe cheating or doping is OK for some because they don't think it's wrong. I miss the days when sports heroes and the like played fairly, led respectable lives and at least appeared to operate with integrity and we collectively cared about the means to an end. Now, I'm sure I'm not the only one left who feels this way, but it does seem like a lot of people aren't necessarily acting that out anymore. After all, fame, fortune and success can be awfully tempting... what would you be willing to do to get there? Tell a little white lie? Stab someone in the back? Cheat? Deceive a boss/shareholders?
I don't think most people who get involved in this stuff set out that way. Instead, I think they gradually become desensitized to it and before they know it, they're in deep. What maybe started out as "embellishing" a resume turns into cooking the books years later, or taking home paper & pens from work turns into embezzling.
So, I applaud the guy who passes on a promotion because he knows it would require compromising his integrity or the coach who benches his quarterback over a team rules violation. Those are the people we should look up to, not those who do whatever is necessary to get ahead.
-JRO
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
A changed life
It seems like one topic has kept coming up in conversations, blogs and Bible study, so I thought it would be worth talking about on here. This topic is that of a changed life: is it optional for a Christian to live a changed life?
My opinion on this is an emphatic yes! I've studied through the book of James a couple of times this year and James makes it crystal clear (especially in chapter 2) that genuine faith will produce works. A "faith" that produces no works is dead; that is, was never real faith to begin with. Elsewhere, the Bible is also clear- we're a new creation, called to live as children of light, we were prepared for good works, we should be eager to do good, etc. In our men's Bible study, we've been going through Ephesians and in chapter 5, Paul makes it clear that those who live immoral/greedy lives have no inheritance in the kingdom and have the wrath of God upon them- that is, they are not believers. So, I think the Bible is very clear that a changed life isn't optional, but rather the result of God changing our heart. We see in the promise of the new covenant where God talks about how He gives all genuine believers a new heart- a heart that has the desire and power (through the Spirit) to live a changed life that pleases God. So, I think our life before and after Christ should look radically different.
After living in the south for 7 years (as of today actually), I've noticed that the southern "Bible belt" culture seems to distort this truth. I hear a lot of "Oh, I'm a Christian because I went forward at church when I was 5" or "I believe in Jesus", meaning I intellectually assent to Him from people who live a life that doesn't reflect Him at all. This bothers me because I expect those who call themselves Christians to reflect that in the way that they live their lives.
Of course, I don't think that sinless perfection is attainable on this side of heaven. And, Christians (at least me and those that I know) still sin. In fact, I just recognized a sin I committed right here in Panera while writing this blog entry. As Christians, we will continue to struggle with sin, but the overall pattern of our lives should be different than before Christ and different from those non-believers around us. The Bible has a much harsher look at sin and sinful patterns in life than we do. After all, it's scary to see how the Bible says people who live in sinful lifestyles have the wrath of God upon them- not quite the do what you want, God will forgive you attitude around us today.
I want to grow to where I see win for what it is, see how it grieves God, hurts me & others, and hate it as God hates it. But, I'm not there yet and it's not an easy quest. But thankfully, where sin increases so does God's grace to cover it... and I'm thankful for that, because I'd be nowhere without grace. Certainly, God's grace covers our sins, but more than that, it's also by grace that we are able to fight sin and live in a way that pleases God- it's not by our willpower.
-JRO
My opinion on this is an emphatic yes! I've studied through the book of James a couple of times this year and James makes it crystal clear (especially in chapter 2) that genuine faith will produce works. A "faith" that produces no works is dead; that is, was never real faith to begin with. Elsewhere, the Bible is also clear- we're a new creation, called to live as children of light, we were prepared for good works, we should be eager to do good, etc. In our men's Bible study, we've been going through Ephesians and in chapter 5, Paul makes it clear that those who live immoral/greedy lives have no inheritance in the kingdom and have the wrath of God upon them- that is, they are not believers. So, I think the Bible is very clear that a changed life isn't optional, but rather the result of God changing our heart. We see in the promise of the new covenant where God talks about how He gives all genuine believers a new heart- a heart that has the desire and power (through the Spirit) to live a changed life that pleases God. So, I think our life before and after Christ should look radically different.
After living in the south for 7 years (as of today actually), I've noticed that the southern "Bible belt" culture seems to distort this truth. I hear a lot of "Oh, I'm a Christian because I went forward at church when I was 5" or "I believe in Jesus", meaning I intellectually assent to Him from people who live a life that doesn't reflect Him at all. This bothers me because I expect those who call themselves Christians to reflect that in the way that they live their lives.
Of course, I don't think that sinless perfection is attainable on this side of heaven. And, Christians (at least me and those that I know) still sin. In fact, I just recognized a sin I committed right here in Panera while writing this blog entry. As Christians, we will continue to struggle with sin, but the overall pattern of our lives should be different than before Christ and different from those non-believers around us. The Bible has a much harsher look at sin and sinful patterns in life than we do. After all, it's scary to see how the Bible says people who live in sinful lifestyles have the wrath of God upon them- not quite the do what you want, God will forgive you attitude around us today.
I want to grow to where I see win for what it is, see how it grieves God, hurts me & others, and hate it as God hates it. But, I'm not there yet and it's not an easy quest. But thankfully, where sin increases so does God's grace to cover it... and I'm thankful for that, because I'd be nowhere without grace. Certainly, God's grace covers our sins, but more than that, it's also by grace that we are able to fight sin and live in a way that pleases God- it's not by our willpower.
-JRO
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