I Saw Visions From God...

Please read the first chapter of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel is known for many things, but he is especially prominent as a prophet of hope. He was alive during the time of Jeremiah, but his work takes on a somewhat different tone than that of Jeremiah. Ezekiel focuses on the exiles in Babylon – the first three chapters tell of his preparation for that work. After describing how he prepares himself, Ezekiel delivers messages of reprobation – that is, of God punishing the nation of Israel – then he brings the Israelites hope by foretelling their eventual Restoration. He clearly understood the necessity for a righteous reprobation, but he also realized that God intended to lift His people up. After reading through Ezekiel, this can be seen if one looks back at the first verse. Ezekiel says “As I was among the captives by the river of Chebar…the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.” It’s obvious how clearly he understood God’s intent for the Israelites.

Ezekiel’s life as a prophet begins with visions of God, even before the voice of the Lord summons him to do work for him. The specifics of the beautiful symbolism in the first chapter of Ezekiel is not to be ignored, but for the purpose of this brief devotion, we will put them on a back burner to be reviewed and picked apart another day. The main thing I want to draw your attention to in this reading is that, at a time when the nation of Israel was staring down the barrel of an extremely bleak future, God revealed himself to Ezekiel in stunning, mystical images that could only have brought life and warmth into the heart of Israel. While God could’ve presented himself before Ezekiel and Israel in a simple and easily understood way, he chose striking, vivid, and colorful imagery. Why? He wanted to get Israel’s attention. The Lord desired that Israel gaze upon His splendor with wonderment and fear, yet at the same time He wanted them to feel comfort in knowing that the Lord who sent this powerful vision would rescue them in their time of need.

Following the reading of the first chapter of Ezekiel, one might think that we deserve such visions or that such visions would help us when we are walking down a dark, hostile road like the Israelites were during their captivity, but this is simply not so. Everything that was revealed to Ezekiel in the vision in all its striking beauty was still mystical and concealed by the veil of symbolism. We, on the other hand, can see everything clearly through Jesus Christ, the Son of God’s love. To see God’s glory in the life of Jesus is to see the righteousness of God’s judgment and the hope that comes with knowing that we serve a just and fair Lord. We can be assured through Christ that the love of God will ultimately save us in a final victory if we diligently "fight the good fight". The next time that you are struggling and you desire to see a sign from God that everything will be okay, or you need to be reminded of what He desires from you, just take a few moments to review the life of Jesus Christ and be uplifted by the aura of hope that emanates from the word of God. 

Thanks for reading,

Ethan

Be still and know...

Today's devo will be kinda short, but I think it'll have a lot of meaning for a lot of people. You know how when you get anxious or worried, you can't stop fidgeting?

Psalm 46:1-11 ASV

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore will we not fear, though the earth do change, And though the mountains be shaken into the heart of the seas; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, Though the mountains tremble with the swelling thereof.   There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God will help her, and that right early.   The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered his voice, the earth melted. Jehovah of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.   Come, behold the works of Jehovah, What desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; He burneth the chariots in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Jehovah of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.

The psalmist writes "Be still, and know that I am God." Next time you're anxious or worried, stop fidgeting around and let the knowledge that God is there for you wash over you like a calming rain. Let it soothe you in the way that nothing else can. And, most importantly, share that feeling with others by telling them the wonderful news of God and Christ!

In Christian love,
- Ethan

Why should I study?

In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul writes to Timothy:

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

How can we handle the word of truth if all we know is what someone else tells us? Sometimes I think that many people today just leave the studying and teaching to preachers and teachers. It's comparable to an infomercial. Someone talks for about 30 minutes, trying to sell us their point of view on how best to do a specific task (in this case, how to please God), and we just sit there and listen.

In verses 20-22, Paul writes:

Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.  So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

In order to learn how to please the Lord, we have to cleanse ourselves from what is dishonorable. The only way to learn how to do that is to study for ourselves. It's like the infomercial example - I can't count the number of times I've seen infomercials that make preposterous claims about the validity of their product in losing weight quickly.

Do these products work?

Usually, no.

Occasionally, one will, but how do we tell if it's any good? We do the research ourselves and learn how we can best become fit, then see if the product fits within that body of research. Don't be that person who buys into the preposterous claims of infomercial preachers. You won't be wasting your money, you'll be wasting your soul.

Study - it's the only way to know.

With Christian love,
Ethan

Psalms 91

Today, I just want everyone to take a few minutes to think about and receive encouragement from these few verses.

Psalms 91:1-16 KJV

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord , He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.  Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.  Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;  Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.  A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.  Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.  Because thou hast made the Lord , which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;  There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.  Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.  Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.  He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.  With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Have a great weekend and may the Lord always bless and protect you!

In Christian Love,
- Ethan

Call on the Name of the Lord

          What does it mean to "call on the name of the Lord"? In Romans 10:13, we are told that "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Obviously, there are other things that one must do (see Mk. 16:16, Acts 2:38, Rom. 10:10, etc.) and sometimes it's easy to overlook the part about calling on the name of the Lord. The thing is, however, all of the actions and thoughts that we should experience as a Christian start at one point - the point where we call on the Lord. 

Calling on the Lord is a sign of trust. It's a sign that you trust Him to save you, and it is from this fertile soil of trust in the Lord that we grow as Christians and produce good fruit. When the fruit that we produce falls from the tree, then they too will grow from the soil of trust. 

It all starts with trust.

The way people gain or earn our trust is by being there for us when they say they will and following through on their word. Our trust in the Lord is different, however. He offers us a life of spiritual peace and promises us salvation in the future. We must have faith to trust in the Lord.

That's what Christianity really boils down to, at its very core. If someone asked me "What's Christianity about?" I would say faith, trust, and love. These three things form the foundation of our relationship with Christ. 

          If you are weak in your faith, you are having difficulty trusting God, or you are having difficulty feeling the love of Christ and showing love to others, have no fear. God can and will save you from your moment of weakness.

All you have to do is call on His name and live righteously, living by the Word of God, and the rest will fall into place. It may not happen today, tomorrow, or within the next year, but it will happen. Anyone who trusts in the Lord will tell you that - everything will work out and you will find peace. All you need to do is open your heart to receive that peace.

Why wait?

With Christian love,
Ethan

What Do I Do?

Do you ever struggle with understanding where you fit into the grand scheme of the world?

I think we have all approached intersections in our lives and not known where to go, but just remember: everything you do has consequences, and they will be either good or bad. Make sure that whatever you choose to do is "worth it," whatever "it" may be. Remember Jesus and the words he said in Matthew 11:

Matthew 11:25-30 ESV

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;  yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.  All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

You will always find rest in Jesus. Remember that.

With Christian love,
Ethan

Drama

"Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness." - 2 Timothy 2:23

     Have you ever been at work and witnessed the phenomenon that occurs when some trivial issue separates most of the staff into factions? Two people get in a disagreement, and it starts out as something relatively private, but before long everyone at work is somehow a part of it.

It starts out as something silly and simple:
"I can't believe they're dating. I think that's unprofessional."
"Did you hear about the new boss? I heard that she's changing the way we're doing everything."

Then, it snowballs...
"They have the right to date if they want to! Their personal life is their own business as long as it doesn't affect their work." "Yeah, but I still think it's unprofessional. What happens if they break up and it gets  messy?" "That's none of our business. If I were in that situation..." etc.
"She is the new boss and we may have to do things differently. That's just part of it." "Yeah, well I've done things in this particular way for years and I'm not gonna change because some new idealist happens to take a position above me." "If you don't, you'll be fired!" "I won't get caught..." etc.

You get what I'm saying. Something that's honestly not worth debating becomes the latest and greatest staff drama. I really hate listening to it, but I even get sucked into it sometimes.

The saddest thing about this situation is that it occurs between Christians all the time. Somebody does or teaches something that somebody else disagrees with, so the offended party goes and talks to someone else about it. Then, a few days or weeks of gossip and debating later, the whole congregation has taken a side on the issue that really wasn't a big deal to begin with. We all know how it feels to be sucked into this type of drama.

When Paul wrote 2 TImothy 2:23, 24, he was attempting to give Timothy advice on how to deal with drama that happens in the church (see vs. 4, 14, 16, etc.). Apparently some of the members at the congregation where Timothy was teaching were bickering about things which didn't really matter in the long run and Paul wanted it to stop. He wanted it to stop because it was a distraction and because it divided the members. As we've all heard before, "a house divided against itself cannot stand."

Next time drama comes your way, stop and ask yourself "Is it really any of my business? Is this really worth debating?" and try to put an end to the drama. Make sure that the quarreling stops at you. When someone leans over and says "So, what do you think about ______?" don't be afraid to say "It's none of our business, really." We're all trying to go to the same place - be the glue that holds the staff, the family, the congregation, or the group of friends together. Be the solution, not the problem.

- In Christian love,
     Ethan

Praying for Rain

Turn in your Bible to Acts 8:20. This verse is the conclusion of a longer story - the story of Simon the Sorcerer and Peter. If you'd like to read the rest of the story, just backtrack a few verses and you can read the whole thing; for now, I'd just like for us to focus on verse 20. Peter says several things in this verse, but specifically, he says "thou hast thought to obtain the gift of God with money." Let's talk about this for a few moments.

I remember when I was younger, I used to think that having a lot of money would give me the power to help people in the world - that being someone significant would give me the key to changing the world. As I got older, however, I realized that bringing the gifts of salvation and completion to the people in the world don't even require money to begin with. How shortsighted I was to think that having money would give me the means to help others!

We can help others every day - whether we have money, whether we don't; it doesn't matter. We have all been given gifts that we can use to help others. For those who have money, that's great! Use it to serve others and spread the good news about Christ. If you don't have money, I guarantee you that you have something else you can use to help people. For example, I have extreme patience - it comes in handy when having lengthy debates about spiritual topics. I also possess a certain degree of musical talent - I can use that to create music with good moral messages and uplift people when they're struggling. Any talent is useful!

Whatever you're good at - use that. Use that like crazy and get out there. Make a difference in the world. Millions of people are counting on you. God gave you that talent and trusted you to use it to make a difference. See Matthew 25 for an example of how God views your talents. It's up to you and me to use our talents to bring glory to God. Let's get out there and put ourselves on the line, praying to God to give us strength.

Plant the seeds and pray for rain. Show God you'll do your part and that you'll trust him to do the rest.

With Christian love,
Ethan

Love and Sacrifice

Let's talk about love. Sometimes, when we approach others about the gospel, we talk to them with our own opinionated judgments first in our minds. I'm not talking about Biblical judgments, I'm talking about stereotypes. I don't need to give any examples - you know what I'm talking about.

We all judge others, whether we are Christians or non-Christians. In the world that we live in, the word "judge" means something different than it did years ago. Years ago, to judge someone meant to form opinions about that individual. In that sense, everyone judges. Now, however, to judge means to discriminate (i.e. "don't judge me").

We all judge, regardless of religious background. That's fine. That's how we're wired. Without opinions, we would be robots. The problem lies with discrimination. We shouldn't treat others as any less than fellow human beings who have the potential to be saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. We have flaws, they have flaws. The beautiful thing is - everyone can change. We don't have to live in slavery to our flaws, and neither do they.

Turn to Matthew 9. Read verses 1 through 13. Jesus and his disciples were eating with tax collectors and sinners. They were eating and reclining, hanging out with those who were considered to be "undesirables" by the majority religion in the area at that time: Judaism. Jesus' statement in verses 12 and 13 is nothing short of incredible: "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but the sinners."

Wow.

Let's stop and think. Who are the people in our society that most make the religious majority uncomfortable? Gays, alcoholics, drug addicts, and thugs are just a few of those who are looked down upon by the religious majority. Let's not be afraid to spread the word to them. Jesus and his disciples hung out with "sinners" (which implies a constant state of sinfulness) - in public! I feel that it's safe to assume that they talked about God and religion and sin - Jesus was God. It's kinda hard to ignore that.

See Mark 2:16 and Luke 5:30 - the religious majority complained to Jesus and his disciples. "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?" They're people too. They have a soul that needs to be saved just like you or I do. They want someone to understand them just like you or I do. It's amazing what kind of a difference you can make in someone's life if you're understanding but persistent.

You don't have to accept someone's lifestyle in order to talk to them about Jesus. You don't have to help someone do wrong or condone their sin in order to be friends with them. Make friends with a gay person and eventually talk to them about their sexuality. Be a good listener! Let him or her talk. Don't force them to talk about it if they don't want to. Then, once you do, use your newfound knowledge and talk to them about why you disagree with it. Take him or her to church with you even, if they're willing to go.

Or, for another example, become friends with a substance addict, and eventually talk to them about how they can be freed from it through the power of Jesus. You don't have to drink, party, or buy an alcoholic some alcohol in order to be close to him or her. Once again, be a good listener! Ask the person to worship with you. Treat everyone like you would want to be treated.

All sin is sin. Even yours and mine. Treat everyone like with that attitude. Whatever sin you struggle with the most - tell them about it! Be open. It's not hard to earn respect as a Christian in modern America if you'll just work for it.

It's okay to be around people who aren't the same as you. We aren't a cult.

Somebody has to spread the word to those people who are overlooked or feel uncomfortable in a church setting; why not let it be you? You may be the only Bible people read - let's make sure that we're taking the time to understand others' opinions and points of view.

If we approach evangelism as "trying to recruit someone with flaws (just like I have flaws) to join the battle with me and be saved from themselves," we won't be able to bring everyone we meet with us on the road to salvation, but we can at least show them all that we, and God, really do care. All some people need from us is to know that we really do love them and that we're not afraid to step out of our comfort zones to show them the path that we walk.

Let's make sure that we're not denying them the opportunity to worship with us and learn about Jesus by treating them like they're any less than human.

One last point: sin is sin. We all do it. We all have insecurities. We all have unanswered questions. The thing is, we know that Jesus forgives the sin, heals our wounds, and answers our questions. They don't know that unless someone helps them find the way. You can help them find the way. Be the mirror that reflects God's light onto the road in front of them. Take a chance.

Take the time this week to get to know someone who does something that makes you uncomfortable and tell them about Jesus. Figure out why they are the way they are and then pray that God helps you find the words to say to help them. Talk about the questions that you have with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Have faith in Him and He will guide you. Be like Jesus.

In Christian love,
Ethan

Public Prayer

          The other day, I ate a meal with one of my friends - a fellow believer. Before meals, I usually pray over the meal - it's tradition, mind you, and not a command - but I still feel that the habit is as good one for me to have. Anyway, our food arrived at the table and I looked up at him to see if he was ready for one of us to say a prayer. I expected him to do the same, but he didn't even notice me looking up because he was already devouring his meal. I cleared my throat and got his attention, but when he looked up at me, all he said was "what?" I mentioned prayer and I could see the pieces click together in his head. "Oh! I totally forgot about that. I don't usually do that in public anyway. It makes some people uncomfortable."

Hmm...

I told him I was in the habit of delivering a prayer before I ate and asked him if he would mind if we prayed before we ate. He replied with "Sure, I guess." I asked him if he wanted me to pray or if he wanted to do it and surprisingly, he volunteered. We bowed our heads and he said "Dear Lord, thank you. Amen." He barely mumbled it, flew through it as quickly as possible, and then began devouring his food again. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that I think he grabbed the fork before the prayer was even over because I opened my eyes and he already had another bite in his mouth.

Is that really how we see public prayer nowadays?

"I don't usually do that in public. It makes some people uncomfortable."
Then say the quickest prayer possible in order to hurry up and get back to the food.

If we do that with public prayer, that's essentially what we're saying about our Christianity. A conversation with someone that has this kind of attitude would probably go something like this:

"What has changed in your everyday life since you became a Christian and decided to start leading the life described in the Bible?"
"Well, I don't usually do that in public. It makes some people uncomfortable."
"What about those times when you have no other choice or someone confronts you with something relating to your Christianity?"
"I just do the quickest and most indiscreet thing I possibly can to get it over with so I can get back to doing whatever I was doing."


          Now, as I said, I understand that praying about a meal is just a tradition of mine and that's fine. If you don't practice that same tradition, then that's perfectly okay. The thing I'm asking about, however, is your public prayer life. If you don't pray in public, why don't you?

Now, if we do pray in public, but we do it for show, then we are just as wrong as the hypocrites in Matthew 6. Still, there's nothing wrong with praying in public. Don't be ashamed of your Christianity.


          If you just accomplished something great, you're about to undergo a trial, or you're just wanting to remind God that He matters to you and that you're thankful for all he's done, don't be afraid to find a place to pray. Praying silently in your head is just as good as praying out loud, but just don't be afraid to pray. No matter how you do it, don't be afraid to show your Christianity in public. We live in a society where those who are gaining power would love to oppress our Christianity - we live in a society where praying in a public school could get someone suspended. The prosecutor would say that that individual might have possibly offended someone who doesn't have the same religious conviction. It's time for us to stop letting them silence the Word of God.


          We don't have to yell at anyone, go beat anyone with a Bible, go picket something, tell people that "you're going to Hell, you know that right?", or anything else like that - that is offensive and usually entirely unnecessary. We can, however, pray in public, casually bring up Jesus in conversations, invite people to church, and have debates about the validity of our beliefs with people who disagree without being unnecessarily rude. People who get offended when we do things like that need to suck it up. Don't be afraid to show the world who you are - Christianity's enemies definitely aren't afraid to show the world who they are. 

If you don't already do this, next time you eat a meal, pray before the meal. It'll be good for your relationship with God and it might even open a door for someone you're eating with that might not have been opened otherwise. Someone with you might ask you "Why do you pray before a meal?" and boom - there's your opportunity to share the good news with them. You'll never know until you try.

With Christian love,
Ethan

Religion and Politics...

Oh. Religion and Politics - the most widely debated and discussed topic in America. Everything on the news seems to revolve around "religion and politics" somehow. Everyone's got their own opinion and each person wishes everyone else would agree with their opinion. At least, you'd think so from watching the news wouldn't you?

          Today, I'm not going to try to tell you what you should vote for or what you should believe in when it comes to the area of politics. I just want us to look at the Bible for a few minutes.

First of all, we should follow Jesus. In Matthew 28:18, Jesus said "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." That's simple enough, but that's not the end of a political discussion. It's too easy for so many in the church today to say "Well, I follow God first and put everything else second, but (insert government official here) doesn't." Then, these people will proceed to bad-mouth and disrespect that official while ranting about things like "revolution" or "freedom."

Like it or not, that's what happens so often nowadays.

Newsflash folks: the government doesn't owe Christians anything. The government honestly doesn't owe anyone. We don't have any "right" to "freedom of religion" or anything else. I have yet to see in the Bible where God told his people "make sure you remember that you have the right to freedom of religion." Nope. It's not there.

However, we do have the right and the obligation to follow God and keep his commandments, regardless of what everyone else says, thinks, or does. With that in mind, let's look at what Jesus says about the governing officials.

Romans 13:1-7 - Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 

Matthew 22:17-21 - Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.”

Matthew 6:33 - But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

          And then let's look at what Paul said.

Colossians 3:17 - And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.


1 Timothy 2:1-2 - First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.

1 Thessalonians 4:10-12 - But we urge you brothers...to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

Wow. So that's what the New Testament says about the government. Let's break it down.

1. Rom. 13:1-7 - We do what the government says and follow the laws, and resisting is resisting God's appointed. 

2. Matt. 22:17-21 - However, even though we are supposed to give the government what they expect from us, we are supposed to give to God what He expects from us.

3. Matt. 6:33 - In fact, we should always seek God first. We shouldn't do anything that goes against this command.

4. Col. 3:17 - Everything we do or say should be right in the sight of God - no exceptions. We should follow the government, but only as long as it does not cause us as Christians to do something we shouldn't or prevent us from doing something we should.

5. 1 Tim. 2:1-2 & 1 Thess. 4:10-12 - We should, while putting God first in everything - including politics and government issues - always pray for those who are in office. We should work with our own hands and pray that we can life quiet, peaceful lives. We should mind our own business and live the Christian life.

          We should put God first in everything we do, including political issues and the government. We should give God everything that He expects from us and to our best to ensure that everything we do or say lines up with His word. We should also work to live quiet, peaceful lives, and mind our own business. A part of living this type of lifestyle also includes working with our own hands so that we don't have to depend on others to do things for us.

However, once all of those qualifications are filled, we should give the government what they are due and follow them, for the leaders that we have are there because God wants them to be. Even if we don't understand why they are in office, we still owe them everything that their positions of power entitle them to receive as long as we don't go against the will of God. These include: taxes, respect, and following the laws. That means no cheating on taxes, no bad-mouthing or openly disrespecting those in power, and no speeding, for example.

That's what God expects from us.


          Next time politics are a part of a conversation, you are voting, or you are in the presence of a government official, remember how important the things you say and do are to God. Whatever happens in the sphere of government, we are always expected to put God first. He wouldn't include politics in the Bible if they weren't important.


Thank you for reading!
- Ethan

The Relationship between Truth and Unity pt. 6

            So far, in our series on truth and how it relates to finding world-wide unity between believers all over the world, we have discussed five main points. These are:

1. Always diligently search for the truth in everything
2. The Bible comes before any opinion or interpretation – practice what we preach
3. If God says to do something we must do it – if he says not to, we must not – the Bible is divinely inspired
4. It is our fault that evil exists and we must follow the Bible “as it is written” in order to change the world
5. Divisions occur when someone is convicted that their opinion is truth – we must be willing to see things in light of the 4 points above in order to prevent any more division

In this post, we will conclude our series on truth and unity by discussing modern Christianity. Most of Christianity today revolves around how the teachings make people feel. For example, if someone doesn’t like the type of music that is used in the worship service, they can rally some friends together and try to change it or drift to another church where they like the music more. If the atmosphere in a church is displeasing to someone, it’s easy to just go find a church that gives off that “feel-good” vibe instead of hanging around and working to improve things where they are.

You know what I mean. This stuff is so common today.

I daresay that people rarely leave a church, switch denominations, etc. because they are in earnest pursuit of the unadulterated truth. Most people seem to decide where to worship on Sundays and how to live their lives based on how it makes them feel with no thought of “absolute truth” or “serving.”

          One time, after visiting a small congregation full of older people, a guy I know told me that “yeah, the people are nice and they’re teaching truth, but I just don’t…feel good…when I’m in there. I don’t…feel…like…uplifted ya know?” I understand, believe me, but since when was worshipping God about you? I’ve been a Christian for years, and it’s definitely never been about me. Sometimes, being a Christian means that we have to do things we don’t want to do. Other times we have to choose not to do things that we do want to do. That’s just the way it is. That’s part of it.

That’s life. Sometimes things don’t go your way.

The man who told me that he didn’t “feel good” when he was at church doesn’t attend services while he’s at college. He looked at a few different places and he gave up. He goes on Easter and on Christmas, and that’s it.

“How could he? I would never do that.”

Some of us might have already done exactly that. When we place our own wants before Christ, we have completely nullified the purpose of the church. The purpose of the church is to 1. Save souls, 2. Provide us with a way to worship God and please him. That’s it. Everything else comes after that. Being a Christian is a selfless act, and when we choose to do or not to do things – we choose to ignore parts of the Bible or add things to it – we are living a contradiction. We have changed the ultimate example of absolute selflessness into a social event.

At that point, it’s no longer about worshipping God “as it is written,” it’s about filling an addiction to a feeling. When the good feeling is strong, we’ll be at church and we’ll be living right with God outside of church too. When it’s gone – we’ll stop.

If someone starts coming to church to play basketball, have church lunch on Sunday afternoons in the fellowship hall, and hear the up and coming local praise-band, what happens if you take all of those things away? When the emotional saturation of the social setting is removed from the equation, and all that’s left is the bare-bones of the Bible, that individual will most likely move on to another church or give up altogether. As that “good feeling” wanes, living a Christian lifestyle becomes harder and harder, and eventually the person isn’t even going to church at all or ends up leading a double life.

          I know a woman who is the perfect person at church, and she guards her reputation like nothing I’ve ever seen – if you ask anyone at church about her life, it’s perfect with a capital P. They can’t see her doing anything wrong. However…

On the weekends, she’s sleeping with her boyfriend. Or, she’s getting wasted and occasionally doing drugs. Her iPod is full of songs that are full of curse words and profanity. She curses like a sailor when she’s with her friends. The list goes on and on.

I'll put it bluntly: her lifestyle shows an obvious lack of respect for God and for the church. If she was trying to change, it would be different, but I know her and she’s straight up told me that she’s not. The guy I talked about earlier who tried a few different churches and just decided not to go anymore – his lifestyle is the same. Life has become a chase for the next “feel good”, the next high – whether it’s sex, alcohol, drugs, a bigger paycheck, or a new toy like a car or TV.

The point I’m trying to make here is simply this: Christianity is radical in 2014. We have to actually do things that we don’t feel like doing. We have to actually choose not to do things that we do feel like doing. That’s just the way it is. Christianity has always been, and will always be radical in the cultures that coexist with it. Christianity is a sub-culture all its own – it’s a culture of selflessness, doing the right thing even when nobody’s around, and constantly pursuing personal perfection. Christianity changes you by permeating your social life, your family life, and your personal “thought bubble.” It makes us different from everyone else who’s not a Christian, whether we like it or not.

          When Christianity was born, it was groundbreaking. God came to Earth to deliver His word? Wow. The belief in a monotheistic God that would come to Earth and die without a fight in order to save people’s souls, well, that was definitely new. Gentiles and Jews could both be saved? That was unheard of. You can see what I’m saying – at any given point in time, Christianity calls its followers to step outside of the culture that they live in and rally together under a shared set of beliefs and practices to live differently than they used to.

Even though modern culture has taken many of the things condemned as sin in the Bible and removed most of the physical consequences (birth control, for example, makes pre-marital relations much easier to get away with), we are called to rise above that. That’s how its radical for us. Christianity calls us to not live the modern “American” lifestyle.

America says “if it feels good, do it at any cost. If it’s illegal, we’ll legalize it. No such thing as consequences, as long as you’re happy.”
Christianity says “if it’s spiritually based and scripturally correct, do it at any cost. It doesn’t matter what the laws say or don’t say, you do what God says and you'll be happy.”

          There’s a huge difference, and it’s time for us to realize that. Christianity is radical, whether we like it or not. That means that we’re called to be radically different from the world around us. Let’s stop chasing that next “feel-good” feeling and buckle down to worship God, in everything we do, in spirit and in truth. Only once we choose, as a Christian nation, to rise above the carpe-diem culture that holds us down and live lifestyles based in divinely-inspired truth will we ever be able to find unity. Only then can we change the world.

Thanks for reading! This concludes the series on truth and unity. I’ve really enjoyed creating it and I have appreciated your support and suggestions. We’ll pick up a new topic next weekend.

- Ethan

Taking a Break...

For the past several Saturdays, we have been discussing truth and unity. The conclusion of this study is coming soon - but let's take a break from that topic. As a matter of fact, let's talk about taking breaks. 

Sometimes we wear ourselves out - we're so busy with jobs, studying, or doing things for others that we neglect to take time for ourselves.

The point is - you need to take time to stop, relax, and collect your thoughts so you can solve any internal problems that you may be facing. God has blessed us with so much, especially here in America. I'm not advising that we become lazy or complacent, I'm just saying that we need to take a break. 

As an example, I make cabinets during weekdays with a local cabinetmaker as a summer job. The other day, we got completely caught up with where we wanted to be on filling orders so we stopped to get a drink of water and discuss what to do next. We had planned on working until 4 p.m., but we finished at around 11 a.m. My boss's first reaction was to go ahead and find something else to do so he could get ahead, like he always does when he gets caught up. That's awesome! What a great attitude.

However...

That day was his grandson's birthday and his grandson really wanted his grandpa to take him to Chuck E. Cheese for his birthday. I mean, the grandson reallllllly wanted grandpa to take him to Chuck E. Cheese. I could tell my boss was struggling with whether or not he should work - he wanted to go with his grandson, but he also knew that getting ahead at work is security. Being over-prepared is better than being under-prepared. Seeing him conflicted, I brought the subject up as we were sitting there, sipping water, and we came to the conclusion that he should go with his grandson. 

Our conclusion was something like this: "These cabinets are right where we wanted them to be, and your grandson is only going to be young once. In 10 years, it's going to matter more to you and to him if you go with him to Chuck E. Cheese than it's going to matter if we're 5 hours ahead on building cabinets. Family comes first." He went and they both had a blast.

That's what I'm talking about in this post. Make sure that you take time to relax and enjoy your blessings. Whether it's 
your parents, 
your grandparents, 
your children, 
your grandchildren, 
your husband, 
your wife, 
your boyfriend, 
your girlfriend, 
your best friends, 
your dog, 
your jacuzzi,
your season tickets; whatever it is that you have, take the time to enjoy it. 

Make sure you say a specific prayer tonight to thank God for giving you those blessings. You see, that's the thing about physical blessings... Nothing in this life lasts. Everyone dies and everything deteriorates. If you wait until a more convenient time to enjoy your blessings, you may not even have them anymore. 

In other words, you make time for what's important to you. We all do. Make time to enjoy the little things in this life. Make time to enjoy the little pieces of your own personal Eden as you go through life and always remember that God is with us. He loves us. And he wants you to relax.

He wants you to take a deep breath and enjoy the good in the world. Stop being so busy for a few minutes and remember who and what you're putting in all of that effort for.

What's it all worth? 

Thanks for reading! We'll pick up with the Truth and Unity series next week. Have a great weekend!
- Ethan

The Relationship between Truth and Unity pt. 5

            Sometimes, I hear Christians argue. “Well, the Bible says this.” “No, no, no – that’s your opinion. The Bible actually says this.” “See, now you’re taking that completely out of context. If you turn to this other scripture…”

What happens when we argue like that?

1. Outsiders see the divisions and wonder “why would I ever want to be a part of that? They can’t even agree.”
2. Other Christians see the divisions and take sides in what amounts to a spiritual family feud.

And, possibly the most important…

3. The way we look at the Bible is changed during the course of the disagreement. People on both sides of the issue no longer look at the Bible as the ultimate source of truth and unity, but they look at it is a weapon – to use on other Christians! To the people arguing, Christianity is no longer about truth, unity, and reconciling everyone who believes; it’s about proving a point of view or trying to change the Bible to fit an incompatible world-view.

Can you think of some issues which have divided the church over the last 2,000 years?

When we think about a specific issue which has divided the church, I assume that most of us see one side as right and one side as wrong. Take the Protestant Reformation, for example. If you’re Protestant, you probably consider the Catholic church to be not-quite-as-good as the Protestant church where you attend. If you’re Catholic, you probably think the same thing about the Protestants.

The question is: who’s right?

When an issue divides the Lord’s church, it moves from the realm of “interpretation” to something much more. In 1 Cor. 1:10-13, Christians were claiming to follow different people.

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow the teachings of Charles Wesley,” or “I follow the teachings of the Pope,” or “I follow the teachings of this council/convention,” or “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was John Calvin crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of the Pope?

Wait, that’s not how those verses read…

I know. I changed the names to make a point: when we wear different names, go to different churches that teach different things, and argue about scripture and doctrine to the extent that new types of churches are formed based on the disagreement, we have created division. Ideally, every believer in a town would gather at the same building to worship the same way, leaving all opinions and disagreements outside, uniting to worship Christ in spirit and truth with the Bible as the foundation for love and unity.

But that’s not what happens. And that’s our fault.
We don’t know how to compromise.
I don’t mean compromise on truth. I mean compromise on opinion. We should be more than willing to compromise on the things that are considered “differences in interpretation” in the name of truth.

Look at it like this: if something we do causes another Christian to think we’re sinning, we should go to the Bible first. If what we are doing is scripturally correct (i.e. the Bible, specifically condones it), then we should take the opportunity to teach the other person. If we are the ones being taught, we should be willing to listen and learn, taking into consideration everything that is being told to us instead of thumping the Bible the first time someone ruffles our feathers.

If the Bible directly says “do this” or “don’t do this,” we have no choice but to follow it. However, we should be willing to change whatever we can for the sake of unity, even if it means never eating meat again. If something isn’t specifically denoted as being wrong in and of itself and also isn’t a command or unquestionable implication, but yet it still bothers a fellow Christian, we’ve got to ask ourselves who we’re putting first if we continue in our practices. If it bothers his or her conscience, to them…what we are doing is sin. (Rom. 4:21-23)

            As an example, I’ll use something like baptism. Is baptism necessary for salvation? Yes. Every conversion in the New Testament involves baptism, and several scriptures even state that baptism saves us. Regardless of what anyone believes about the subject, the Bible says to believe and be baptized in order to be saved (Mk. 16:16); therefore, we must do it to be saved.

Yet, we still can’t all unite on that.

The thing is, that’s a fact. That’s an undebatable command. Google “verses on baptism” and just see the vast number of scriptures that talk about baptism. 1 Pet. 3:21 even goes far enough as to say “baptism now saves us.”

That should be the end of the discussion, but it’s not. Just wait until you talk about something like using instruments in the worship service or whether or not it’s scriptural to have a gymnasium. If we can’t agree on the blatant commands – the basic foundation for our salvation – you’d better believe we won’t be able to compromise and agree on matters that require a bit of “reading between the lines.”

When we try to force others to accept a specific point of view, with little to no compromise on our part, it’s no wonder that we aren’t united. If we do something that isn’t specifically stated as being wrong, but it offends someone else (like eating meat sacrificed to idols or a modern-day equivalent), we should be more than willing to compromise in the name of truth and unity. As much as we’d like to think otherwise, it’s not about “me” and what “I” think or believe. It’s about following the Bible and being united. Read 1 Cor. 8. We cause others to sin if we force them to violate their consciences over something that’s not a matter of doctrinal correctness. Imagine the topic of eating meat sacrificed to idols if it were debated nowadays…

“I have the right to eat meat sacrificed to idols. The Bible doesn’t say it’s wrong, plus Paul sometimes ate meat sacrificed to idols so your argument is invalid. I’m sorry but you’re confused. I’m going to eat meat sacrificed to idols because I’m supposed to provide for my family and that’s the meat that’s the most affordable…” etc.

Let’s do our best to make sure that we’re keeping God first in our minds and putting others’ needs ahead of our own. The time is now, my brothers and sisters. It’s time for us to come together and change the world! There are millions of souls to be saved, and we need to work together to save them. We need unity.

Thank you for reading!
With Christian love,
- Ethan