The Gospel According to Mario

OK. So maybe that's a bit much. However as I was playing Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii a few days ago, I noticed an analogy that I liked.

Super Mario Galaxy is one of those character-based adventure games where your character has a life meter. In SMG, you're life meter has three points. So get hit, lose a point. Do that three-times and you lose a life. Like most games, the life meter can be restored and in SMG you can gain a point by collecting a coin.

So I'm playing and my life meter is down to 1 while I'm fighting this boss. The timer's beeping loudly letting me know that I'm close to done for (and increasing my stress level.) I'm able to get a couple of hits on him anyway but still have a way to go. Then I find a couple coins, so my life is restored. Whew, now I'm back where I was at the start of the fight, but he's still down. Advantage - Jay.

How does this relate to following Jesus? First of all, notice that Mario was down but not out. In fact Mario with only one life point is just as affective at beating the boss as Mario with a full meter. He's not weakened or limited. That's the same as it is as Christians. You may be hurt, tired, broken, you may have sinned or screwed up in some way. But that does not mean you are ineffective for Jesus. You can still fight.

Then there's that music. Every time you're down to one point, the music gets faster and so does your pulse in response to it. That's Satan. Sin, fall, fail, whatever and he'll make sure you know it. You think you're in danger and start making even worse choices. We don't need to because we've got...

Coins. Forgiveness. Your screw-ups, sins, hurts, anything that makes us think that we're in danger are forgiven. It's the foot-washing I mentioned earlier. Go to Jesus, or any other Christian and receive forgiveness and you will be healed. Then you're back at full-health and the enemy is still down.

Sure, it's geeky. But it just goes to show that God can use anything to show you Truth.

Legalism vs Grace: The Remarriage Debate

Last night we discussed divorce and remarriage at our men's group and I left even more confused that when I started. I know it's something I'll need to get into more. I'm not sure I want to hash details out here and now, but there's a larger issue that's really bothering me.

We're saved through our faith in Christ by God's grace. Grace means receiving something that you don't deserve. We don't deserve the forgiveness that God offers. There's nothing we've done to earn it. It's only because of His great love for us that He gives us a path to redemption at all.

Now the thing is that grace can be hard to receive. You've heard it said that often the hardest person to forgive is yourself. That's really true with God. So many times we think we need to suffer or be disciplined for our sin when really God's grace is covering that and we're forgiven. We just may not want to accept that forgiveness.

With divorce, there are those Christians who have been taught they sinned by getting divorced and then again when they remarried, so they are in a constant state of sin. This makes them, in their mind, a second class Christian. I'm sure other feel the same way for different reasons, every sin comes with it's own condemnation. They need to realize that God's grace covers them, they are forgiven.

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By
no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

Romans 6:1-2

However grace only goes so far. Are we to continue to live in our sin and take God's grace for granted? No. We're called to live holy lives. We will fail, to be sure, but we are not to take advantage of God's grace and intentionally walk in disobedience.

So there should be some point where, based on the scriptural evidence we have, we should say to someone that either to divorce or remarry would be sin. Or if a man was remarried after an unscriptural divorce, that he could not serve as an Elder or Deacon.

However, now that starts seeming too legalistic. Doesn't the grace of God and His forgiveness extend to this man? If he's repentant of the choices he made in his first marriage and is now following Christ, shouldn't he be allowed to serve the church?

So where does the cycle end? Where in this spectrum between legalism and grace does the heart of God lay? Surely we know that living under strict rules with no grace is damaging to one's faith, but so is living so far under grace that behavior ceases to matter. Where is the balance? God is just, but also forgiving. When and how do you reconcile these two?

(I can't help but think of the non-Christians who I know read this blog. These types of disagreements have to be a huge reason why Christians seem so confused and contradictory at times. The only thing I can say is that as long as you're not seeking what you think is right, but what God says is right, then you're on the right path.)

Not Much to Say

So who in the world blogs when they don't really have anything to say. I guess I do. I've ignored my reminder to post two times now and just feel I should put something up in order to keep the habit. So here's just a few thought and things going on.

1. Saw Expelled:No Intelligence Allowed last night. This is a documentary by Ben Stein showing the lack of academic and scientific freedom in America for those who want to question evolution and see if there's scientific evidence of a creator. Very well done. I think it's real strength will be to get people to not trust scientists so much. Yes, science has done wonders for us and is an exciting aspect of human existence. However people have come to equate science with truth, and need to be reminded that like any human endeavor it can be distorted and controlled. Go see this, it's good.

2. We're going to Mississippi in a few weeks for a wedding. The finances of that trip as stressful, primarily because of taxes and some medical expenses. The timing is just bad. Otherwise, I am looking forward to being there. Not the drive so much, but our days there.

3. In my men's group on Thursdays, we've been talking some about differences between our church and the conference we're a member of. The topic of remarriage has come up and it's one that I'm really interested in. As a future pastor, I would want to guide those who want married to follow the Lord in that. God never wants a divorce to occur, but does seem to allow for it in some cases. If you were to divorce, there seem to be times when you could remarry and times when God would still want to reconciled to your ex. I thought about this a lot with my parent's divorce and my Mom's subsequent remarriage. I think that Biblically they are alright, but still want to revisit it now that it's past and not as emotionally involved. I also want to remember that we're not dealing with a law book, but rather want to seek the heart of God. Thursday evening we're going to study this more in depth, I think.

4. I've been thrilled to see the work that God is doing in my wife's life and heart. I'm not going to embarrass her here with specifics, but still want to give God glory for answering my prayers for her.

5. I'm struggling in my job. I really want out. During a sermon I got the sense that God would have me stay, then I found a job opening I'd like. I'm so very confused, angry and just mentally blocked with it. I need to just pray about it, but not sure I want to hear what God might say. It's a chance to mature, I guess. Pray for me in that.

So much for not much to say. :-D

Teaching and Learning

Just recently I was contemplating my future. I'm really unhappy with my job. Which is a kind of insult to God, since it's got really good pay and benefits. I should be happy that He's providing for me faithfully. But like an Israelite in the desert, I want more. My job changed a couple years ago and is now pushed by statistics and production. It's completely lost the relationship aspect that I always enjoyed so much.

So I'm praying to God and meditating on my future when a couple of things strike me. First is that I love to both learn and teach. It's always been that way. I love to figure some new thing out and I love to explain it and watch you learn it to. I've come to recognize that as a part of who God has created me to be.

Second, I was thinking about being a Sr. Pastor at a church. Out church has about 350 members. That means 350 people would call Linden their pastor. They would depend on him during difficult times, look to him for spiritual leadership, and overall hold him to a very high standard of living. The idea of switching places with him suddenly seemed daunting. Could I hold up under that weight and burden? I don't think so. I'm not strong enough yet. There's a lot more work in me left to do. (Side note: Think about this with your pastor. Give him both your thanks and grace. He needs it.)

So with those two things said, I'm wondering if my calling is as a Sr. Pastor of a church, or maybe to serve in more of a teaching/preaching role. Maybe I'm more gifted to be an associate pastor in a teaching role. Who knows.

Please pray for me in my job. It's a good job, but there's so much about it I do not like. I need either contentment and a renewed work ethic or a new door opened. While you're at it, pray that God will show me the next step in my path in His time.

Foot Washing

John 13:1-17
Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet
It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"

Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."

"No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"

Jesus answered, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

There's a teaching here that I didn't see until recently.

Now in this time, Jews would have bathed and been ceremonially clean for a feast such as Passover. They would then walk to the place where they would celebrate the feast. During that walk, their feet would get dirty and need cleaned again before the feast. Now Jesus is talking about foot washing and indicates that all of the disciples are clean and need only their feet washed but one. We know from the beginning of this paragraph that He is referring to Judas. So you think Judas didn't bathe? No, of course not. He was a good practicing Jew and was likely just as physically clean as the rest. So what's going on here?

Obviously Jesus is speaking figuratively. Judas was different. I think it means that the rest of the Disciples were believers, or real followers of Jesus. Judas wasn't. The illustration for us means that as followers of Jesus we are free from sin. It's been forgiven and we are spiritually clean. However, we will still sin just walking through life. Can't help it on this Earth. So what's the lesson here?

Jesus says we are to wash one another's feet. James says to "Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed." We need to wash each other's feet. We need to confess our sins to each other. We need to forgive other's sins.

How does this work practically? If you've sinned against someone, confess it to them. If someone has sinned against you, forgive them whether they ask for it or not. We should also have someone we trust whom we can confide in and be open with. Sin gets it's strength from being hidden and confessing that brings us freedom.

One last thought. We also need to go to Jesus and have Him wash our feet. When we sin we sin against both men and God. Jesus is your Lord and Savior. Be He also desires to serve you. Sometimes we feel so ashamed to go back to Jesus and confess a sin that we've confessed a hundred times. He knows this. He wants you to be clean. Don't be like Peter. Break your pride and let Him serve you. Doing so is one way He shows you His love.

Not a Guitar Player

Here's my parable of the day...

Being a Follower of Jesus is like playing the guitar. When you start, you make all sorts of mistakes. You're just trying to get the basic fingering right, you miss notes all the time, you're slow and have no rhythm (This is exactly how far I got when trying to learn guitar). After a while, if you're persistent, you'll start to get the hang of it and maybe play a song with only a couple mistakes. The more you play, the less mistakes you'll make. Eventually you start learning new techniques and find out you didn't know how much you don't know. Eventually you're willing to accept that you're a 'guitar player', even though you do have a bad note now and again.

As Followers of Jesus, we'll never live perfect. There will always be mistakes. More at first, then progressively less, until we start learning how much we really don't know and it starts all over again. The trick is not to obsess over the mistakes, but accept them as part of practicing your faith.

The big difference is that unlike playing guitar, there's no getting 'Good enough' to call yourself a 'Christian'. Jesus declares you righteous when you accept Him as Lord and Savior so you're a 'Christian' from day one.

Wait. Not Christian. Follower of Jesus. :-D

Following Jesus

So what are you? A Christian? Believer? Born-again? Evangelical? To me, all these terms are too ambiguous. They need clarification. 83% of adults in the U.S. would self-identify as Christian. But is that because they've but their faith in Christ or because if and when they go or went to church, it was a Christian one. Calling yourself a believer is easy, but doesn't really mean that you're saved, just that you believe Jesus is the Son of God. So does Satan and he's not saved. Call yourself Born-again and those who aren't don't really know what that means but think it means you're a Bible-thumper. Finally, the term Evangelical is used so much in the political realm, it's hard to distinguish it as a description of faith.

I'm starting to think that identifying yourself as a Follower of Jesus may be the best approach. Here's why.

1. It denotes action. We actively seeks Jesus out and want to do His will. We make our choices and order our life in a way that is pleasing to Him. We actively seek to remove sin from our life.
2. It implies trust. Obviously if we're following Jesus, we must trust Him. We're trusting Him with our life, our family, our happiness and provision. It means we've put our faith in Him.
3. It demands Lordship. Not only do we trust Him and want to follow Him, but it goes one step further. If we are a follower, then Jesus has authority in our life.
4. It shows relationship. It's not a "Follower of Christ". 'Christ' is a title, and may be appropriate at times, but not always. His name is Jesus and that's much more personal. I'm trying to stop using 'Christ' and speak to Him as 'Jesus'. It means that we have a relationship and He is accessible.
5. It reminds me to follow. Too many times we get caught up in our own lives. We can think as a Christian and try to determine the Christian thing to do. However, if we're a Follower of Jesus, it becomes obvious what we should do. Ask Him.
6. It leaves nothing in question. Unlike the other terms, this defines our relationship with Jesus very well. It defines the basics: faith, Lordship, action, submission, relationship. The core tenants of Biblical Christianity and the faith through which we are saved from our sin and death.

The Widow's Offering

Luke 21:1-4

As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

Now you can read this teaching and think "Wow, God wants me to give all my money to the church?" No. Although I'll bet you wouldn't have to look too hard to find some churches teaching that. The lesson here is more subtle.

Last night during my men's bible study, one man was telling how he and his wife are very different what it comes to reaching out to people. He's very open and outgoing, never met a stranger. He could talk to anyone, and wants to. His wife is more quite and reserved. She's not likely to make the first move in talking to someone and doing so would make her uncomfortable.

Now God has gifted him with the ability to reach out to people, her not so much. While he could talk to a dozen people about being a follower of Jesus, she's have to make a dedicated effort to talk to just one. So who do you think God sees as giving more? He is giving out of his wealth, but she's giving from her poverty.

This can teach each of us something. If you're the person of wealth in an area, like my friend, don't look down on those who don't do as much as you might. I'm very comfortable talking in front of others, but that doesn't mean God sees me as better than my wife who wouldn't talk on stage if her life depended on it.

If you're the person poor in an area, it means that you're not less valuable in God's eyes than the one who's "doing more." God knows who you are (He made you) and sees the effort and sacrifice you've put in by trying. That is worth more to Him than the one who does something with little effort.

In the end, we're all called to follow Christ. Some of those things may not come natural to us, but we're still to try. Some will be things that we're designed to do and we're to give it our all. Either way, we follow Jesus and know that whatever we do, big and small, is accepted and rewarded.

Me, Myself and I

The sermon this week spoke about character. What does it mean to have good character? How are we to improve our character. This got me thinking off in a different direction. Our pastor borrowed someone else's definition of character, so I'll borrow what's been borrowed.

Gary deLashmutt: Character is clearly distinct from image and reputation. It is the inner quality in which thoughts and behavior are rooted. Character determines behavior just as behavior demonstrates character.

So if character is the inner quality in which thoughts and behavior are rooted, then my character is separate from them. When we say someone is of 'good' character, we are making a judgement based on their actions. We make these same judgements of ourselves including our thoughts as well. You could also assume, therefore, that our character is separate from our feelings since we'll make similar judgements about them.

In essence, we're recognizing from our own personal experience that there is something about us that exists separately from our behavior, our thoughts and our feelings. There is something about me that can look at my thoughts and feelings and pass judgement if that's acceptable or not. If we were nothing more than the result of biological processes, if everything could be explained by the electrochemical reactions, then why would we be at odds with ourselves in this way? It only makes sense if there is something more to me than just what goes on in my brain. There is an objective entity, which we call character, that directs my thoughts, feelings and behavior.

This part, for lack of a better term, is the 'Me'. The 'I'. There is a part of my experience and existence that I recognize as me. This part is really my identity. It is who I am. If you judge my character by what I say or do, then I know you're judging me for who I am at a very basic level. My thoughts and feelings may change, along with my behavior, but through all that I am still under there, experiencing that change.

In my understanding of how God has created us as people, were made up of three very basic pieces. We are Body, Soul and Spirit. The Body is obviously our physical body. Then there is the Soul. This is the 'untouchable' parts of me. Here you'll find most of our thoughts, feelings, personality and other things that make me, me. I think this is also where you find 'Me'. Then there's the Spirit which I believe is dead due to sin until Christ breathes new life into you through trusting and following Him.

Now the body, or flesh, is full of sin and is not to be trusted at all. This includes the brain that can greatly effect our thought and feelings. But remember, that's not 'Me'. I am separate from all that. The Spirit in me is Jesus and is, therefore, sinless. That puts me in the middle of this spiritual tug-of-war. The flesh is pulling me to sin, Jesus is leading me to righteousness. Imagine a clearing in the woods at night with a fire at its center. In the clearing, the light eliminates the darkness. Deep into the woods, the light cannot penetrate, and sin prevails. But in the middle, there is some light and some dark. That's were 'I' am, in the shadows, between the battle of light and dark.

This mind picture of me being stuck between and fought over by both sin and righteousness explains so much of scripture to me. It helps me understand Paul when he says "What I want to do I do not do, but what I do not want to do, this I do." He's recognising that very real battle. He also says that when he sins "it is not I who sin, but the sin in me." He knows that there is a separation between the sin in the body and who he is, the 'Me' in him. It also helps us understand that we are to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Jesus is lighting us up from the inside, driving out the darkness, and changing the 'Me' for the better.

When that happens, my thoughts, my feelings and behavior naturally change. People see this and assume that I'm the one doing the changing, but it's not. It's not just that the 'Me' has decided that I need to change my behavior in order to look righteous. Rather I focus first on following Jesus and his direction, then 'I' am changed.

It is not about living different and trying to eliminate sin in our own lives. Never has been. First, we confess our sin and choose to follow Jesus as Lord. That fire gets lit in our spirit and changes us from the inside out. Then, we follow Him and He'll change us at the very core.