The Selfie

"Don’t be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God." (2 Timothy 3:1-2)

The biggest social media site in the world is said to currently have over 1.3 billion monthly users.

That's an astounding 1/7th of the population of planet earth online each month, posting messages, goofy website links, and personal photos, often taken using their cell phone while looking at themselves in the bathroom mirror.

The "selfie" is what this cell phone self-portrait has been dubbed, by the Internet folks who decide what to call these things.

Paul's warning 2,000 years ago, to his young protege' Timothy, accurately foretells today's modern culture. 

"People are going to be self-absorbed."  

I couldn't help but be amazed as I read through the entire passage in 2 Timothy 3:1-2, of how this modern generation falls under each detailed description given by the Apostle Paul.

The following are some interesting statistics I found online while researching for this post.

The people born between 1980-2000 are referred to as the "Millennial Generation."

• [They] are the largest, most diverse generation in history.
• Nearly 78 million were born between 1980-2000.
• On average, they are marrying at a later age, if at all.
• They are the least religious generation in American history.
• 60% feel that government should provide for their retirement.
• They are most responsible for the growth of the video game industry.
• 83% use a computer for work an average of 17 hours per week.
• 20% use their computer for work 40 or more hours per week.
• They use computers for personal use an average of 17 hours per week.
• 28% listed atheism, agnosticism or no preference as their belief system.
• 34% said that no one can know what will happen when they die.
• 65% rarely, or never attend religious or church services.
• In importance: 1.family, 2.friends, 3.education, 4.career, 5.spouse, 6.spiritual.
• 73% chose "Facebook" as their most popular social media site.
• Most listed texting as their primary means of personal communication.
• The majority see nothing wrong with same-sex marriage.

The first thing that comes to my heart about the generation named, is to never insult them by referring to them as "Millennials." 

I hate cheesy, unbiblical labels, as if people are merely some demographic to be labeled, and not human beings. I know I hate being referred to as a "Baby Boomer." What a stupid title. Please don't ever call me a "Boomer."

Over the past several years, I have heard a lot of ideas, philosophies, and methods on how best to reach the young people of the current generation, who, to a great degree, do not seem very open to hearing about Christ. Many of man's methods have not been very effective. They may help you get young people to join your cool youth group, but lasting, transforming change seems mostly absent.

Knowing that God had phropheseid of the perilous times of the resistant culture of our day, Paul wrote:

"I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

Preach the word of God.

That may not sound very hip or sexy. Many may tell you it is old-fashioned and outdated. Others will try to tell you that preaching God's word "will not work on this current generation." I've heard all the excuses.

But Paul proclaimed, 

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes." (Romans 1:16)

There is power in the Word of God.

The philosophies of fallen man are dead and are powerless to impart life or change in the spirit.

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

God's word is alive. It is not just some ancient teaching, showing us how to live the right way. There is power in the Word. And to reach the hearts of people, only the word of God has power to discern the thoughts and intents of their hearts. 

You can argue or debate worldly philosophy with people all you want. But there is no power of God in this.

"The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul." (Psalm 19:7)

There is no power in trying to wage a spiritual battle using worldly methods.

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

The self-absorbed hearts of these perilous times can only be melted and moved by the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17)

A friend recently told me that young people will not believe you until they trust you. So build relationships and be real with them.

Speak the truth in love.

They don't care that you know, until they know that you care.


—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

Living in a Bubble

“Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” (Romans 13:10-11)

A man from another country, was speaking on the radio of how America is living in a bubble.

Particularly, he was referring to Christians in America. 

He said,

"You are not living in reality."

I've been thinking about this for some time. It's been very troubling. 

According to enrichment journal on the divorce rate in America:

• The divorce rate in America for first marriage is 41%
• The divorce rate in America for second marriage is 60%
• The divorce rate in America for third marriage is 73%

And though these statistics pertain to the nation as a whole, for anyone who has been around churches much, divorce is an epidemic among Christians today.

How can this be?

From what I have witnessed over the last ten to fifteen years, it's because the man who said we are living in a bubble was correct.

Many Christians are simply not living in reality. 

Much of what "Modern Christianity" has wrongly promoted, is the "happy little Christian life" where we supposedly will have perfect marriages, perfect wives, perfect husbands, perfect kids, perfect pets, perfect cars that never break down, perfect houses, perfect yards, perfect jobs, perfect health, never a lack of of money, all of our prayers get answered, and we never have any problems in life. A care-free life with no trials, trouble, or persecution.

The problem is, God never promised this to us.

We're living in a bubble.

What I have witnessed, is, when a bubble-dwelling husband or bubble-dwelling wife have expectations of this perfect, happy little Christian life, and their spouse does not live up to their perfect expectations, they often go looking to greener pastures for another mate who will fill the bill. They are seeking someone who will give them that perfect, happy little life that God never promised.

The root of the problem is the heart.

People who live in a bubble have their hearts set on the things of this world, and not on the Lord. 

The Apostle Paul said:

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

A friend of mine often talks about the self-idolatry of self-absorption.

Bubble-dwellers are inward-focused. Self-absorbed. Their entire life revolves around them. They rarely, if ever, see anyone outside of their own context of self. 

A friend told me a story of a man who felt led by the Lord to send a poor woman in Africa a fairly sizable sum of money for Christmas. He didn't know the woman, but learned about her through a local ministry. When the woman received the money, she didn't do what most Americans would probably do, which would be to buy what they needed, and then save the rest for their own needs. No, she bought food for her entire village. She didn't look only to her personal need. She met the need of her entire village.

This really hit home personally. 

Miraculously, the Lord recently provided a generous sum of money for us, to meet our needs, as we were in pretty dire straits, due to a medical issue I have which rendered me unable to work for almost a year. We were so thankful to receive this gift. But I confess, it never entered my mind to share any of this gift with others, because our own needs were so pressing.

But afterwards, when I heard this story about the dirt poor woman in Africa who unselfishly blessed her entire village with the gift she received of the Lord, it really convicted me.

It made me examine my own life... my own heart. 

Do I really need the kind of house and lifestyle I currently have to survive? Am I invested more in this world and the temporal things in it? 

Or are my treasures stored up in Heaven?

The story of the poor woman in Africa changed me. I can't escape the unselfish love and compassion she showed for others. She demonstrated the love of Christ in a way that I can't honestly say I ever have.

Have you?

"Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." (Philippians 2:1-4)

This week as we're in a time of prayer and fasting, my prayer is that God will burst our bubbles. 

I don't want to live in a self-contained world that revolves around me.

"Lord Jesus; make me more like You."

Amen.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails.

Learning To Walk

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12)

Do you, or anyone you know, seem like they are stuck in a rut in life? Never progressing, not growing, never able to resolve issues in marriage or personal relationships?

When you're stuck in a rut, you have two choices:

1. Keep spinning your wheels and remain stuck.

Or,

2. Do whatever it takes to get out and move forward.

In your walk with Christ for instance, too many times, people get stuck in a rut when situations, or seasons in their life change, and they can't, or won't, adapt to the changes. And so they sit idle, complaining of, "how good things used to be".

Perhaps the most painful, and helpful life lessons I've had to learn, is that God puts certain people in your life for a season. Some of these seasons are quite long, and others, not so much. Good friends move away. People move on. Situations change.

We get used to wonderful routines in these seasons of life where we come to depend on people, on close friends, to fellowship with, talk to, have coffee, go fishing, or just hang out. Good times. The best of times.

When we are going through difficult trials, our closest friends are right there, going through it with us. We can always call them up and ask, "Can we get together and talk? I'm in deep water and I really need you to pray for me."

But when our close friends, with whom we've grown so accustomed to having close by when we need them, move several hundred miles away, that source of "on call" fellowship is gone. Sure, you can call them on the phone. But it's just not the same as the face-to-face fellowship you once had with them. That particular season you had together where they were close by is over.

And the most painful lesson in all of this, is you can't go back and try to re-create these seasons. They were unique, and wonderful for the times you had them. But God had these people in your life, in your geographic space, only for a season. But eventually, everyone moves away, it seems.

When we shut down and stay stuck in our ruts, when the seasons in our life change, it often indicates that we are too co-dependent on people. On our closest friends. On how things used to be in the good old days.

Instead of being co-dependent on imperfect people, we must learn to become totally dependent on a perfect God.

We have to learn to walk our own walk with Christ.

No one else can walk it for us.

Jesus said; "Without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

I'm convinced that God brings special people into our lives for a season as mentors and godly examples of what it looks like to walk out our own Christian walk, and then He removes them, so that we will then become the wise friends and mentors who help a younger or newer disciple of Christ to learn to walk for themselves.

You can't remain in the same place. 

It's a new season now.

Enjoy it for all God has for you in it. And invite others who need to learn to walk to come along.

It's time for you to become the mentor and leader that God has called you to be.

—God is Love and Love Never Fails

How Great Is Our God!

"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory!" (Matthew 24:30)

I cannot wait for that Day!

That glorious day, on which, Jesus Christ; The  King of kings and the Lord of lords will come back to earth, coming on the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory.

And all human beings alive on the earth at that time will bend their knee and bow to Him, and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Do you believe that?

I do. Jesus said it. The Bible records it. And I believe it.

There are no "New Years Resolutions" on my list for 2014. However, what I am doing, is starting off this new year right. My focus is, and always will be, on God, and on how great He is. I trust in Him completely, to manage my life, and to provide for me. He is my only source of peace and joy.

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." (Isaiah 26:3)

I want to share a story from back when I was newly saved. It involves my former musical tastes and my personal CD collection. Around the mid-1990's, I had amassed a fairly large collection of over 200 discs. That may not be a lot to you. But for me it was.

One day after spending a couple of hours listening to some of my old CD's, I could not seem to find anything that moved me the way it once had. I used to perceive myself by the kind of music that I liked. Those styles and genres were what I self-identified with. But as I sat there looking at the rows of discs on my book shelf, it all just kind of felt like dead weight to me now. It wasn't part of me anymore.

Something had changed.

I was not that person anymore. My 'old man' did not exist any longer.

Now, I didn't feel like it would be "evil" for me as a new Christian to listen to my non-Christian music. It's not like it was Devil worship or anything like that. It was popular stuff on the radio at that time. However, it was completely lifeless and worthless to me now.

I simply no longer had any desire for it.

So as I sat there staring at my huge stacks of CD's, I pondered what to do with them.

And then, without a doubt in my mind, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

I put everything in some boxes and went to a music store downtown. They bought a large portion of them for pennies on the dollar. I didn't make much cash, but it sure was great to unload them. And with the short stack that they wouldn't take, as I walked back to my car near the alley, I saw a dumpster, and just felt totally free to toss the rest of them in the trash.

All except one.

I had this one disc that was my favorite. I had learned several of the songs on it. And this music and particular artist was who I most identified with in my "former life." I wanted to write and record the kind of songs that this guy had.

Then, as I was on my way out to see my wife at work to tell her about my experience, as I drove, I kept staring at that one remaining CD that I couldn't quite bear to part with.

After a few minutes of thinking about that CD, and why I did not want to give it up, without hesitation, I grabbed it, and threw it as hard as I could out my open passenger window, at the cement retaining wall of the overpass. That CD shattered into a hundred pieces of silver. It was gone.

Forever.

Now I was really free.

I can't fully describe the incredible feeling of lightness and freedom that I felt at that moment. I shouted for joy like a crazy man as I drove down the highway. A huge weight had finally come off my shoulders. That last little piece of myself that had never really brought me any true peace or satisfaction, had been cast off. I no longer had any desire for that part of my old life—my old self—that part of me was now dead and gone.

And I have never looked back.

Look, I am not judging anyone who is a Christian who still likes and listens to secular music. You're free to do as you wish. If you like Foreigner, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marely, The Eagles, Nirvana, or AC/DC, I could care less. It's between you and God.

But I would like to encourage you to do some soul searching, and pray about it. Do you love music that does not directly bring glory to God? Just think it over. Again, it's between you and God. I'm not judging anyone.

And just so we're clear, this is not some legalistic, "Thou shalt not listen to secular music" rant. I am sharing my personal story here—my personal journey—of what God has done in my own heart and in my life. I am not telling you what you should do.

But, for me... if the message of any music is not clearly about Jesus, or if it fails to totally glorify God, I'm just not interested in it anymore.

And I love it, and am thankful to Jesus, that I have been set that free in Christ that I am no longer bound by the same old stuff that I was bound by in my "former life" (smile).

Again, I am free. Totally, amazingly free! \o/

I remember my Mom once told me that being a follower of Jesus didn't demand that she give up things in her life. Rather, it was that God had set her free from them.

Jesus said, "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36)

And now I am free.

Here is the first song that God put on my heart for 2104. It should be the anthem of worship to our God, today, and forever more:

"How Great Is Our God."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b69CcVs8pMc

The splendor of a king
Clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice
All the earth rejoice

He wraps Himself in light,
And darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice
Trembles at His voice

How great is our God – sing with me
How great is our God – and all will see
How great, how great is our God

Age to age He stands
And time is in His hands
Beginning and the end
Beginning and the end

The Godhead Three in One
Father, Spirit and Son
Lion and the Lamb
Lion and the Lamb

How great is our God – sing with me
How great is our God – and all will see
How great, how great is our God

Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
How great is our God



—God is Love and Love Never Fails.