I was sitting in church a while ago, and listened to a service about America, and how our country isn't honoring God anymore by what we do in the policies of our government, schools, etc. There was singing, reading, and other "American" functions. Not only in this service, but all around our country- especially near Memorial Day and Independence Day, there are large celebrations to honor our country, and the country's heritage.
I have wondered how most evangelical Christians feel sitting in services like this, or in parades, or in any function of this country relating to the patriotism a soul feels. I never questioned these things before. These things are right! They are what makes an American a true American! You should take off your hat! You should be quite and respectful! You should hold your hand over your heart! No country, no other land, no international or historical power EVER was or will be greater than OUR COUNTRY!
These feelings still resonate with me; however, I have come to despise them. This is the wrong focus.
There is a giant flaw in this kind of patriotism. There is a weakness in this kind of strength in love of country. There is still a hole in a man's heart and soul with this kind of a pledge to a place of heritage.
I began to think of a passage in the Bible that says something like this, "If any man comes to me and does not hate his mom, dad, wife, children, siblings, and even himself, he can't be my disciple." This is Luke 14:26.
Growing up in church, this verse doesn't throw me for a loop at all; however, you might be thinking:
WHAT!!?? HATE MY PARENTS, MY BROTHER, MY SISTER, MY OWN LIFE?? YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! YOU'RE CRAZY, AND I'M LEAVING!
I wouldn't blame you at first glance, but be patient.
This means that the love that you do have and should have for those people should be like hatred in comparison for your greater love for Jesus, and for glorifying God.
With that thought, I began to make a list of what things are important to me. I'll try to do this in order of importance:
(not including God)
1- My Wife
2- My Children
3- My Parents and Siblings
4- My In-laws and friends
5- My Job and Financial Security
6- My Loyalty to my country
7- My kid's future
8- My Possessions
9- My Sports Teams that I root for
10- My Land
11- My vehicles
12- What people think about me
There are more, I'm sure, but you get the idea. Most important at the top, and then trailing off, you have less important things, but still important.
So, according to Luke 14, I am supposed to hate my parents, siblings, self, friends,and leave them behind in order to be a disciple of Jesus. My question based on my priorities list then is, "If I am supposed to hate #'s 1-4 compared to Jesus, then what does that mean for the rest of the numbers on my list?"
I think it means that Jesus named the top four of everyone's list in order to make not just a point that gets you to think until someone explains the direct meaning, but to give you something to consider EVERY DAY. Am I valuing my computer more than I should? Am I valuing my wife more than I should? Am I valuing my driving ability more than I should? Cell Phone? Pets? Children? Situation? Church? Money? Love for Country?
In conclusion, I should hate America in comparison to Jesus. I don't think many Christians feel this way. We have God, Family, Country. Sometimes, I don't think that order stays that way. Our list should say, "God............", and after hours or reading number 2, number 3, number 4 with nothing listed, we may eventually come to wife, children, etc. We would never even make it to the United States of America. God established this entire globe, not just the United States. We happen to live here, and that's wonderful, but our allegiance to God should be so strong that any allegiance to any other thing should be similar to a traitors allegiance to our country.
Oh that we would seek God in such a way to leave all concerns behind in comparison to our desire and zeal for Him! He loved us first, and that's why we love Him. Ask that God would grant you the desire, and ability to walk away from all the worldly concerns you have, and think of only Him all the time. He commands and desires you to do so. Anytime we focus on anything that isn't Him, we fail. If we drive our cars without Him, we fail. If we talk about allegiance to this nation, and don't think in our mind about how it really pales in comparison to our dedication and allegiance to God Almighty, then we fail Him again.
And so it is a battle every day to live in a place that we consider to be great, but are challenged to know that it isn't really great, it never was great, and it won't ever be great. YAHWEH is God's name, and He alone is great. Let your allegiance lie with God and God alone.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Raccoons and Sin
It has been quite some time since my last post. I have; however, had many things to share, just haven't had the time nor the cohesiveness of thought to put together something worth your time or mine.
I would like to start with some thoughts on sin.
It all started with the cat food on our porch. You see, we have a few cats, and we leave food for them on the porch in bowls during the day, so whenever they need to eat, they can do so. If they don't have it all cleaned up, it remains in the evening. There is a bin that contains the rest of the cat food. This is also on the porch.
Living in the country, it doesn't take long before extra animals show up and find that you have offered them free food. Once this is discovered, it is a smorgasbord for all. I never noticed that the cat food was disappearing until my wife kept complaining about how often she had to purchase more cat food.
I knew something was up, and figured it was either a possum or some raccoons. Both had done this before, and all perpetrators were eliminated in order to save us on cat food costs.
So, I set up my trap. Inside this "live trap", I placed a bowl of cat food, and cleaned up all other sources of food, so that if something came up to eat, they would have to go into my trap, trip the lever, and eat some cat food. Sure enough, on the first night, a raccoon walked into the trap, stepped on a lever near its foot which engaged a trap door behind it, and trapped it in the cage until the next morning. The following morning, I emerged from the front door finding the thief trapped. I have been encouraged to let these raccoons go, but didn't do so this time.
After using the .22 caliber, and a couple shells, I cleaned out the trap, and set everything up the next night. The same thing happened, and for four consecutive nights, I caught a raccoon. Each time, they met the .22 rifle the next morning. On the fifth night, I caught a possum. After this, I kept my cat food around a bit longer, and I believe the cats enjoy their food a little more.
I thought and thought about this for a few days. Questions emerged in my mind. Why do raccoons eat cat food? What causes them to come up systematically and walk into a trap? Don't they smell other raccoons, and other dead animals near that trap? (Foxes don't do this. They smell any odd scent, and run away) On any night did two or more raccoons come up and watch one get caught? Would all raccoons do this if they had the same opportunity? Don't they learn anything? What is God trying to teach me?
Then I started to think about people. I started to think about why I do the things that I do. Namely, why do people do things that get them in trouble? Why do they repeat poor behaviors? Don't they see the danger in what they are doing? Are we smarter or different than a seemingly dumb, predictable raccoon?
I began thinking about sin. Sin is choosing anything different than what God demands from us. It is replacing Him with something. Anything. It might just be a thought, or certainly can be an action. I began to think that this role play I was in with the raccoons was similar to what Satan does with people. He sets a trap, and puts a bait in the trap. We come to his trap, and are snared. We are wounded, and can't get away without help. There is a penalty each time.
Why does the raccoon eat cat food? Why do certain people sin in some ways, and some people don't? The Bible says, "We are drawn away of our own lusts, and enticed." James 1:14 That raccoon isn't drawn into my trap by something he isn't interested in, he is interested in cat food to begin with, and all I have to do is set a trap. I know the weakness of this raccoon, and because I know it, I can exploit it. This is what Satan does with people. He does this to me, and he does this to you.
Stepping back form the raccoon story, doesn't it seem entirely reasonable that the raccoon can get food from some other source, and probably a source that doesn't have a death penalty? I'm sure. This food is easy though. It has been easy for so long without a penalty, it has to be right. WRONG
This is a ploy the devil uses on people. It has never happened before, so it won't happen this time. WRONG
Isaiah 53:6 says, " We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
We ALL are like sheep. We ALL have turned away, and to our own thing. Our own thing is stupid, selfish, narrow minded, meaningless, and in replacement of bringing glory to God. It always lands us in a trap.
I would further argue that Satan every time intends to keep us in a "live trap", and take us out back and shoot us, and never let us go. I believe that every time we do this, God takes the gun from the devil, and lays it aside, and opens the door, and says to us, "Go, and sin no more."
The next day, we are in trap again.
He says, "Go, and sin no more."
Every day this happens. Lamentations 3:22 says, "It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions
When He died on the cross, he opened the trap for all of his sheep, climbed into the trap, and locked Himself in. Then He told the devil to pull the trigger.
Be encouraged, and be warned. Lookout for the devil, because he is looking to trap you. Seek God in everything little thing that happens for He is the one who brought it to pass.
I would like to start with some thoughts on sin.
It all started with the cat food on our porch. You see, we have a few cats, and we leave food for them on the porch in bowls during the day, so whenever they need to eat, they can do so. If they don't have it all cleaned up, it remains in the evening. There is a bin that contains the rest of the cat food. This is also on the porch.
Living in the country, it doesn't take long before extra animals show up and find that you have offered them free food. Once this is discovered, it is a smorgasbord for all. I never noticed that the cat food was disappearing until my wife kept complaining about how often she had to purchase more cat food.
I knew something was up, and figured it was either a possum or some raccoons. Both had done this before, and all perpetrators were eliminated in order to save us on cat food costs.
So, I set up my trap. Inside this "live trap", I placed a bowl of cat food, and cleaned up all other sources of food, so that if something came up to eat, they would have to go into my trap, trip the lever, and eat some cat food. Sure enough, on the first night, a raccoon walked into the trap, stepped on a lever near its foot which engaged a trap door behind it, and trapped it in the cage until the next morning. The following morning, I emerged from the front door finding the thief trapped. I have been encouraged to let these raccoons go, but didn't do so this time.
After using the .22 caliber, and a couple shells, I cleaned out the trap, and set everything up the next night. The same thing happened, and for four consecutive nights, I caught a raccoon. Each time, they met the .22 rifle the next morning. On the fifth night, I caught a possum. After this, I kept my cat food around a bit longer, and I believe the cats enjoy their food a little more.
I thought and thought about this for a few days. Questions emerged in my mind. Why do raccoons eat cat food? What causes them to come up systematically and walk into a trap? Don't they smell other raccoons, and other dead animals near that trap? (Foxes don't do this. They smell any odd scent, and run away) On any night did two or more raccoons come up and watch one get caught? Would all raccoons do this if they had the same opportunity? Don't they learn anything? What is God trying to teach me?
Then I started to think about people. I started to think about why I do the things that I do. Namely, why do people do things that get them in trouble? Why do they repeat poor behaviors? Don't they see the danger in what they are doing? Are we smarter or different than a seemingly dumb, predictable raccoon?
I began thinking about sin. Sin is choosing anything different than what God demands from us. It is replacing Him with something. Anything. It might just be a thought, or certainly can be an action. I began to think that this role play I was in with the raccoons was similar to what Satan does with people. He sets a trap, and puts a bait in the trap. We come to his trap, and are snared. We are wounded, and can't get away without help. There is a penalty each time.
Why does the raccoon eat cat food? Why do certain people sin in some ways, and some people don't? The Bible says, "We are drawn away of our own lusts, and enticed." James 1:14 That raccoon isn't drawn into my trap by something he isn't interested in, he is interested in cat food to begin with, and all I have to do is set a trap. I know the weakness of this raccoon, and because I know it, I can exploit it. This is what Satan does with people. He does this to me, and he does this to you.
Stepping back form the raccoon story, doesn't it seem entirely reasonable that the raccoon can get food from some other source, and probably a source that doesn't have a death penalty? I'm sure. This food is easy though. It has been easy for so long without a penalty, it has to be right. WRONG
This is a ploy the devil uses on people. It has never happened before, so it won't happen this time. WRONG
Isaiah 53:6 says, " We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
We ALL are like sheep. We ALL have turned away, and to our own thing. Our own thing is stupid, selfish, narrow minded, meaningless, and in replacement of bringing glory to God. It always lands us in a trap.
I would further argue that Satan every time intends to keep us in a "live trap", and take us out back and shoot us, and never let us go. I believe that every time we do this, God takes the gun from the devil, and lays it aside, and opens the door, and says to us, "Go, and sin no more."
The next day, we are in trap again.
He says, "Go, and sin no more."
Every day this happens. Lamentations 3:22 says, "It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions
When He died on the cross, he opened the trap for all of his sheep, climbed into the trap, and locked Himself in. Then He told the devil to pull the trigger.
Be encouraged, and be warned. Lookout for the devil, because he is looking to trap you. Seek God in everything little thing that happens for He is the one who brought it to pass.
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