Q: If you've offended someone, what should you do about that? And does it matter if you did it intentionally or not?
A: In Matthew 5:23-24, Jesus told us that God doesn't want our worship unless all of our earthly relationships are reconciled. So if I am aware that someone is offended by something that I did or didn't do, I have a God-ordained obligation to go to them and offer an apology - as well as whatever else I might be able to do to make it right.
It doesn't matter whether I offended them intentionally or not. In fact, it doesn't even matter if they should be offended or not. Perhaps I or others think they have overreacted or been too sensitive. Even if that were true, it wouldn't changes God's will for me to attempt to be reconciled. It doesn't matter if they deserved it (the offense), whether they've done the same thing to me in the past, or whatever.
Simply put, as a Christ-follower, I have a God-ordained obligation to do whatever I can to be reconciled to everyone at all times. If I am aware of an incidence where I'm not, then God doesn't even want me to worship Him until I've addressed that.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Christianity's Challenge
Q: What do you think is the biggest problem in Christianity today?
A: Ignorance. People who call themselves Christians don't take the time to educate themselves about all of the implications of their being identified with Christ. As a result, they don't know what they are supposed to do and not do. So they end up looking very foolish --- some might say hypocritical. Even though they call themselves Christians, they look nothing like Christ.
A: Ignorance. People who call themselves Christians don't take the time to educate themselves about all of the implications of their being identified with Christ. As a result, they don't know what they are supposed to do and not do. So they end up looking very foolish --- some might say hypocritical. Even though they call themselves Christians, they look nothing like Christ.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Manly Men
Q: What makes a man a man? I mean, how would you define masculinity in Christian terms? Is there a Biblical reference for it?
A: Well most dictionaries define in it terms of someone "having the appropriate qualities for their sex." What does that mean? It means that masculinity is considered to be a relevant term, and gets defined differently in each society. So the Bible really is the best place to go for guidance on this one!
When I go to my Bible, I find at least three different categories of reference for masculinity. First, God created man in His own image. (Genesis 1:27) Mind you, Jesus hadn't been born yet, so the only image we know of God at that point was as a spiritual being. Conclusion? God created man to be spiritual. Second, God put man in charge. (Genesis 2:15) Third, God told man to work for his entire life. (Genesis 3:19)
So this is the framework for masculinity. A real manly man is spiritual, in charge and hard working. On top of that framework, now we can add the examples of manliness that we see in the rest of the Old and New Testament. King David's live is the best example we have across the Old Testament, I believe.
Read 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles and get a picture of the nature and character of King David. Notably he was quick to repent when he was wrong and he was a great, indulgent worshipper. David was a prayer warrior. And David loved the Lord with all his heart and lived his life trying to submit to the Lord every way he knew how. In the end, God called King David "a man after my own heart." (Acts 13:22)
So now I have a man who is spiritual, takes charge and leads, is hard working, admits his mistakes and repents quickly, is a great worshipper (i.e., recognizes who God is) and prays effectively. Are you starting to see the picture here? It's the Biblical definition of masculinity.
Finally, we can look at the nature and character of Jesus Christ as well as His core teachings. Read Matthew 5, 6 & 7 (known as Jesus' Sermon on the Mount). I think if you'll take the examples I've given you from the Old Testament and put them together with what Jesus had to say, you'll get a complete picture of Biblical masculinity.
Make no mistake, God intended for men to be men. And He intended for men to lead their wives, their families, their communities and their churches. There is no shortage of material for us to learn how to do that either. It's all in God's Word (the Bible)!
A: Well most dictionaries define in it terms of someone "having the appropriate qualities for their sex." What does that mean? It means that masculinity is considered to be a relevant term, and gets defined differently in each society. So the Bible really is the best place to go for guidance on this one!
When I go to my Bible, I find at least three different categories of reference for masculinity. First, God created man in His own image. (Genesis 1:27) Mind you, Jesus hadn't been born yet, so the only image we know of God at that point was as a spiritual being. Conclusion? God created man to be spiritual. Second, God put man in charge. (Genesis 2:15) Third, God told man to work for his entire life. (Genesis 3:19)
So this is the framework for masculinity. A real manly man is spiritual, in charge and hard working. On top of that framework, now we can add the examples of manliness that we see in the rest of the Old and New Testament. King David's live is the best example we have across the Old Testament, I believe.
Read 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles and get a picture of the nature and character of King David. Notably he was quick to repent when he was wrong and he was a great, indulgent worshipper. David was a prayer warrior. And David loved the Lord with all his heart and lived his life trying to submit to the Lord every way he knew how. In the end, God called King David "a man after my own heart." (Acts 13:22)
So now I have a man who is spiritual, takes charge and leads, is hard working, admits his mistakes and repents quickly, is a great worshipper (i.e., recognizes who God is) and prays effectively. Are you starting to see the picture here? It's the Biblical definition of masculinity.
Finally, we can look at the nature and character of Jesus Christ as well as His core teachings. Read Matthew 5, 6 & 7 (known as Jesus' Sermon on the Mount). I think if you'll take the examples I've given you from the Old Testament and put them together with what Jesus had to say, you'll get a complete picture of Biblical masculinity.
Make no mistake, God intended for men to be men. And He intended for men to lead their wives, their families, their communities and their churches. There is no shortage of material for us to learn how to do that either. It's all in God's Word (the Bible)!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Interracial Marriage
Q: Is it a sin for a Christian to marry someone from a different race? (That seems to be the commonly held belief of most of the Christians I know.) And if it's okay, then why are so many people against it?
A: No it is not a sin for a Christian to marry someone from a different race. The Bible is actually silent on this subject; it neither forbids or endorses interracial marriage. What God did explicitly forbid is interreligious marriage. Christians are not to marry people of other faiths. Christians should only marry other Christians.
Back in the Old Testament, God told the Israelites not to marry anyone from outside their faith. (Deuteronomy 7:3-5) The primary reason was that He didn't want their faith to get diluted by other (false) beliefs. And God didn't want His people to be distracted in their marriage by worship of other (false) gods. (Exodus 34:12-16)
So what if a Christian is already married to a non-Christian? That could only happen in one of three ways I believe. (1) You made a mistake and married a non-Christian. (2) You became a Christian after you were already married. (3) Your spouse deceived you about the fact that they were really not a Christian. In any case, the Bible tells us how to handle that. The Christian is obligated to stay in the marriage and do their best to reflect the love of Christ to their spouse. If the non-Christian spouse wants out of the marriage, he or she may leave. But the Christian can not be the one to make that decision. (1 Corinthians 7:10-15)
Okay, back to interracial marriages. Like I said, the Bible neither forbids or endorses them. However, we have several examples of God's chosen people entering into marriages with people from a different race. Moses married an Ethiopian woman (Numbers 12:1). Salmon married Rahab, the harlot of Jericho (Matthew 1:5). Boaz married a Moabite (Ruth 2:10 & 4:13). We never find any issues with those marriages on the basis of race.
So interracial marriage is fine, so long as it is between two believers - which is the same criteria that should be applied to marriages within the same race.
Finally, there are people, even people who call themselves Christians, opposed to interracial marriage because they are ignorant (unaware) of the truth. God created us all in His own image - as spiritual beings. The human bodies He's assigned each of us to during our tour of duty on earth are not material to who we are.
A: No it is not a sin for a Christian to marry someone from a different race. The Bible is actually silent on this subject; it neither forbids or endorses interracial marriage. What God did explicitly forbid is interreligious marriage. Christians are not to marry people of other faiths. Christians should only marry other Christians.
Back in the Old Testament, God told the Israelites not to marry anyone from outside their faith. (Deuteronomy 7:3-5) The primary reason was that He didn't want their faith to get diluted by other (false) beliefs. And God didn't want His people to be distracted in their marriage by worship of other (false) gods. (Exodus 34:12-16)
So what if a Christian is already married to a non-Christian? That could only happen in one of three ways I believe. (1) You made a mistake and married a non-Christian. (2) You became a Christian after you were already married. (3) Your spouse deceived you about the fact that they were really not a Christian. In any case, the Bible tells us how to handle that. The Christian is obligated to stay in the marriage and do their best to reflect the love of Christ to their spouse. If the non-Christian spouse wants out of the marriage, he or she may leave. But the Christian can not be the one to make that decision. (1 Corinthians 7:10-15)
Okay, back to interracial marriages. Like I said, the Bible neither forbids or endorses them. However, we have several examples of God's chosen people entering into marriages with people from a different race. Moses married an Ethiopian woman (Numbers 12:1). Salmon married Rahab, the harlot of Jericho (Matthew 1:5). Boaz married a Moabite (Ruth 2:10 & 4:13). We never find any issues with those marriages on the basis of race.
So interracial marriage is fine, so long as it is between two believers - which is the same criteria that should be applied to marriages within the same race.
Finally, there are people, even people who call themselves Christians, opposed to interracial marriage because they are ignorant (unaware) of the truth. God created us all in His own image - as spiritual beings. The human bodies He's assigned each of us to during our tour of duty on earth are not material to who we are.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
What's Love?
Q: I know that 1 Corinthians 13 gives us a definition of love. But it seems that mankind - whether Christian or not - struggles to define love. Is it a feeling or an action? An emotion or a decision? Why do we struggle so with it - when the Bible is so straight forward about what love is? Seriously, how should love be any better defined or understood?
A: I believe the reason that mankind - whether Christian or not - struggles so much with the definition of love is that love refuses to meet our expectations. The thing about love is that a lot of evil wants to come under the disguise of love. Take selfishness, for example. Often when someone tells you they're in love, they talk all about what the other means to them. Consider these statements common to someone talking about love:
"He makes me feel so ...."
"He treats me like ..."
"I get butterflies whenever I'm around her."
What's at the root of those statements? Me! Often we confuse love with being how we feel about someone or how we react to someone. That says nothing about them ... but quite a bit about us.
1 Corinthians 13 is the place to start for a timeless definition of love. The best way to understand it is to look at the character and nature of love as its defined here --- and then begin writing more statements. Suppose, for this exercise, that the Apostle Paul told you he'd written this much, and he asked you to keep writing 1 Corinthians 13. So you'd start writing, and it might look something like this:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love doesn't keep track of whose turn it is to pay for dinner. Love leads with forgiveness ... even before it knows if who is to blame or if they're sorry or not. Love doesn't keep score. Love would never embarrass you in front of your friends. Love protects your reputation. Love would never have a good laugh at your expense. Love is eager to make sacrifices for your pleasure.
And the definition continues: Love is willing to confront you when you're wrong and gently correct you ... but not in front of others. Love always believes in you and is always willing to give you second, third and fourth chances. Love picks up after itself and is never late for appointments. Love pays its bills on time and lives within its means. Love is generous to a fault. Love draws firm boundaries and is quick to discipline.
So you get the point here. Keep writing. Think of all the situations and relationships you've ever been in ... and apply the 1 Corinthians 13 definition of love to them. Then watch how it comes out. You'll see that love is not so hard to understand or figure out. It just isn't what comes natural to human beings. But it is what comes natural to spiritual beings. So in conclusion, love isn't human. Rather love is supernatural, divine, spiritual and descends from heaven.
A: I believe the reason that mankind - whether Christian or not - struggles so much with the definition of love is that love refuses to meet our expectations. The thing about love is that a lot of evil wants to come under the disguise of love. Take selfishness, for example. Often when someone tells you they're in love, they talk all about what the other means to them. Consider these statements common to someone talking about love:
"He makes me feel so ...."
"He treats me like ..."
"I get butterflies whenever I'm around her."
What's at the root of those statements? Me! Often we confuse love with being how we feel about someone or how we react to someone. That says nothing about them ... but quite a bit about us.
1 Corinthians 13 is the place to start for a timeless definition of love. The best way to understand it is to look at the character and nature of love as its defined here --- and then begin writing more statements. Suppose, for this exercise, that the Apostle Paul told you he'd written this much, and he asked you to keep writing 1 Corinthians 13. So you'd start writing, and it might look something like this:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love doesn't keep track of whose turn it is to pay for dinner. Love leads with forgiveness ... even before it knows if who is to blame or if they're sorry or not. Love doesn't keep score. Love would never embarrass you in front of your friends. Love protects your reputation. Love would never have a good laugh at your expense. Love is eager to make sacrifices for your pleasure.
And the definition continues: Love is willing to confront you when you're wrong and gently correct you ... but not in front of others. Love always believes in you and is always willing to give you second, third and fourth chances. Love picks up after itself and is never late for appointments. Love pays its bills on time and lives within its means. Love is generous to a fault. Love draws firm boundaries and is quick to discipline.
So you get the point here. Keep writing. Think of all the situations and relationships you've ever been in ... and apply the 1 Corinthians 13 definition of love to them. Then watch how it comes out. You'll see that love is not so hard to understand or figure out. It just isn't what comes natural to human beings. But it is what comes natural to spiritual beings. So in conclusion, love isn't human. Rather love is supernatural, divine, spiritual and descends from heaven.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Man of God
Q: I read your blog about being "a man of God." So how would you know if you were a Biblical "man of God?" I mean is there tangible evidence that would present itself to support such a claim?
A: Yes, I believe there would be. Take a look, for example, at 2 Kings 1:12, where Elijah said, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men. In my book, that's tangible evidence.
I believe a true man of God would be walking so in tune with God that every step he takes and every breath he draws is totally in sync with the Father in heaven. A man of God can raise the dead, separate the seas, command water to pour out of rocks, and other such miracles. Mind you, it's not the miracles that make him a man of God. Rather it is the relationship he has with God that enables God's miraculous powers to flow through him. He is that yielded to the Lord, that obedient.
A: Yes, I believe there would be. Take a look, for example, at 2 Kings 1:12, where Elijah said, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men. In my book, that's tangible evidence.
I believe a true man of God would be walking so in tune with God that every step he takes and every breath he draws is totally in sync with the Father in heaven. A man of God can raise the dead, separate the seas, command water to pour out of rocks, and other such miracles. Mind you, it's not the miracles that make him a man of God. Rather it is the relationship he has with God that enables God's miraculous powers to flow through him. He is that yielded to the Lord, that obedient.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Enough on Divorce
NOTE TO READERS: I'm not going to spend any more time discussing Christian divorce. Frankly, I've already answered that question as sufficiently as I can.
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