“[Do Not Love the World] Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.”
But they mingled with the nations, and learned their practices, and served their idols, which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and daughters to the demons, and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with the blood. Thus they became unclean in their practices, and played the harlot in their deeds.
~Psalm 106:35-39
I am a big believer in context. Don’t even get me started on people taking Jeremiah 29:11 – a super-long-term promise made to a nation being severely disciplined by God for their harlotry — and acting like it’s saying that God’s going to be giving them a nice car any minute. I’m very wary of anyone taking Scripture written for a specific people in a specific time and then bending it to fit their agenda. I’m beyond wary of it; it hacks me off.
That being said, I’m about to do just that. I am doing it because I wanted to share with you some thoughts that overwhelmed my brain as I read the above passage from Psalms the other day. Before I share that, however, I want to acknowledge my awareness of this passage’s context. I mean – it even says “Canaan” in the dang quote. So, I get it. But, I also want to tell you what I couldn’t get out of my head, because there just might be something to it.
Any guesses?
Yep – I saw startling parallels between the Israelites spoken of in this passage and modern-day American Christians. Here’s my thinking:
We mingle with servants of other “gods” too much.
Does that mean we should live in a Christian bubble? Of course not! Paul became all things to all men, and Christ spent His time with sinners! However, surrounding ourselves with people who love the world — and only people who love the world — can have dangerous effects. It’s a cyclical trap that the Israelites fell into time and time again. The only difference is that our gods are much more sophisticated. While we all fancy ourselves to be not shallow, a cursory look around at all our “stuff” that has become “essential” should clear that up right away.
We sacrifice our children. No, not literally. But we are in essence doing the same thing when we pay lipservice to some spiritual Santa Claus we have named God, but our lives reveal no passion for the real God, no sacrifice, and no dedication. The children can see who our real gods are. They can see what we sacrifice for, what we compromise ourselves for, what hope and wish and dream for. They are not fooled, especially when family is sacrificed for career, integrity for power, humility for “self-esteem,” and our souls for the latest fad. In truth, technology has become the newest form of idolatry, in addition to wealth, status, and sundry material goods.
The land is polluted. This, unfortunately, is an epidemic. We are teaching our children to value what is temporal, and they are laying their souls down right beside ours. The land is polluted by misguided people striving after the wind, working their lives away to acquire more and more and more… worthless junk. And they’re losing their souls in the process.
These are the things that keep me up at night. I am desperately seeking to be free from the entanglements of the world, but I find the world to be so very oppressive. It’s a constant battle to be content, especially when I see others who claim Christ chasing the very things that would seek to rob them of true intimacy with Him. I have to constantly remind myself that I am to seek Christ; I am to search out His will for me. Kneeling and listening, kneeling and listening.
What does it mean to work out your salvation with fear and trembling? It seems that it’s not an easy thing, or there wouldn’t be fear and trembling! I’m becoming more and more convinced that while we can do nothing in ourselves to become saved, it probably isn’t as easy a deal as people try to make it. The “repeat after me” prayer probably doesn’t often cut it. It’s weird… it’s nothing we can work for or earn, so the message is that it’s easy and all you have to do is believe. But, even the demons believe – they’re certainly not saved! And many who think they’re saved will be turned away in the day of judgement. And the path is narrow and few find it. And God endured vessels prepared for destruction for His glory. It seems to me that the predestination camp is really on to something AND that we aren’t even close to having anything figured out. Perhaps salvation isn’t simple at all if Paul tells us to work it out in fear and trembling. None of that sounds easy, or highly enjoyable, and it’s really frustratingly imprecise. Work it out how? What’s to work out? I thought we weren’t saved as a result of anything we’ve done. Perhaps it just means to try and understand or appreciate it. I don’t know. But fear and trembling don’t sound pleasant. In my estimation, however, we really do need a healthy dose of terror when thinking of the Lord and His power. The Church plays the “God is love” card too often and fails to explain love or what else God is. God is reallyterrifying.
“Leave vain things to vain people, and give your attention to those things that God asks of you. Go into your room, shut your door, and call upon Jesus, your Beloved. Stay with Him in the privacy of your own room, for you will not find such peace anywhere else.” ~Thomas à Kempis
I see the verse I copied a month ago and it still rings untrue. However, I do feel that the Spirit is leading me more outside myself. Between Voice of the Martyrs, my refugee kids at [school], Under the Overpass, and repeated truths from His Word, I’m becoming more disgusted with myself and more concerned about those without. I really want to learn Spanish and head south. I want to get out of America and have to rely solely on Him. I want to see how others live instead of just hearing about it. I want to really make a difference. Yeshua, guide my steps. Send me. Make me willing.
I know it may seem disjointed to someone who is not in my head. However, all of it ties together quite terribly for me and God: I don’t take Him or His message seriously. If I did, my life would be much different. I fear I am no closer to true discipleship or true service than I was in the above entries.
In future posts, I plan to expound on my thoughts and convictions. This is meant to be an introduction to some things I’ve been trying desperately to ignore.
Hypocrite. Fake. Phony. Liar. Sham. Pretender. I know. I hate them, too. Well, I guess I can’t say that I hate them. There are many that I truly love very deeply and, let’s face it: we all know we’re not supposed to hate anybody. But I hate the idea of them.
I hate the idea of sweaty preachers with terrible toupees stealing money from a poor old lady who just wants Jesus to save her wayward slut of a granddaughter. If the little old lady with the gaunt Social Security check were just more faithful and made more of a sacrifice, maybe Jesus would save the slut.
I hate the idea of motivational speakers who bastardize the Gospel and call themselves evangelists. They steal from the young, the rich, and the worldy who really should see through the smiling sham. If these happy, shiny people will simply donate exorbitant sums to a gluttonous empire, then they’ll definitely get richer. That’s all God wants to do, you know: bless your bank account.
I hate the idea of people who call themselves Christians but who look just like the screaming, selfish world.
Do you know there are real followers of Jesus Christ out there? I don’t know how many of them are in America, but they’re slowly infiltrating societies in the East. They cling to parts and pieces of moldy pages under mattresses and in cellars, knowing full well the consequences of being caught. These followers stand quietly and steadfastly against societies that will break, burn, mock, maim, and murder them for speaking the name of Jesus to an unconverted loved one.
Oh, and do they speak it! They speak what we will not in the face of what we cannot imagine. Sometimes they speak quietly in an enigmatic note to a close friend. Sometimes they sing praises while their flesh smokes. Sometimes they intercede for their persecutor between bloody blows. Such irresponsible behavior often makes their torturers intensify their abuse. Such thoughtless speech can cost everything: their home, their safety, their good name, their job, their life. Even worse, it can result in the death of an innocent child or spouse. They see a monster with bullets poised to enter the cranium of their four-year-old and all they can do is blubber the beautiful name as they shield their eyes and their ears. The real Christians do not fear those who can only hurt the body.
But, you know, all of this is terribly politically incorrect.
Hypocrite. Fake. Phony. Liar. Sham. Pretender. I know. That’s me, too. So, I guess I can’t say that I hate them. But I sure do pity them.
I don’t really have the time to try and make what I’m about to write sound polished, poetic, or witty. I had another post scheduled for today and I shifted it back to draft status so I could write more about what is on my heart at this moment.
But, you see, it’s hard to pinpoint it exactly. Overall, I think I just feel this overwhelming restlessness. I feel like I’m just floundering around, desperately trying to figure out how to truly serve Yeshua, and sadly wondering if I’m truly as sincere as I am trying to be.
Weird? Who would know if I’m sincere more than I would? Well, Christ of course. The Word says that there are many who will cry Lord, Lord whom Christ will deny. There are many who did things in His Name who will be utterly shocked on That Day.
And then I look around, failing to see a single person who appears worried about – or even interested in - all this stuff. People say I get too hung up on the wrath of God and everything, but I ask, Why don’t you? Do you even read your Bible? Do you see the horrific things that this terrifyingly holy God has done and will do? And those on the receiving end of His wrath have been and will be surprised.
I don’t want to be surprised. I want to be real. I want to be the one who, when standing in the face of starving lions, would scream confidently that Jesus Christ is my King. I want to be the one who sings hymns as flames engulf my body. I want to be an incurable follower:
The following is a letter from a governor named Pliny to the Roman emperor on the growth of Christianity less than one hundred years after the crucifixion of Christ:
I have never been present at any of the Christians’ trials, and I am unaware of the methods and limits used in our investigation and torture. Do we show any regard to age or gender? If a Christian repents of his religion, do we still punish him or pardon him?
Currently, I am proceeding thus—I question them as to their religion; if they state they are Christian, I repeat the questioning, adding the threat of capital punishment. If they still persist, I order them to be executed. I do not believe that their stubbornness should go unpunished.
I recently questioned a group of Christians who, after interrogation, denied their faith. From this event, I could see more than ever the importance of extracting the real truth, with the assistance of torture, from two female prisoners. But I was able to discover nothing except depraved and excessive superstition.
I therefore thought it wise to consult you before continuing with this matter. The matter is well worth referring to you, especially considering the numbers endangered. This contagious superstition is not confined to the cities only, but has also spread throughout the villages.
Nevertheless it still seems possible to cure it.
Are Christians easily “cured” of their Christianity? When push comes to shove, are most believers incurably faithful to Christ or merely running a mild fever? Persecution is one sure way to discover the truth. Only God knows a person’s heart. However, persecution introduces us to our real selves and helps determine whether we will forsake Christ or remain faithful. If we are truly committed to Christ, then he will give us the stamina we need to endure for his sake. If we are more committed to an ideology than the person of Jesus, we will find ourselves faltering under pressure. Are you an incurable case for Christ or will your beliefs turn out to be “excessive superstition” instead?*
I’m worried about how many of us were converted to a culture or to an ideology. That’s not the Call. We’re to be disciples. And how – specifically - does my life and your life reflect that we are followers of Christ? It’s too easy to play the game here. And it’s too easy to fool ourselves without realizing what’s happening. Here in America, our faith is not put to the test. Sure, the guys may tease you if they find out you’re a virgin or a group of friends may pressure you to take a drink and then another, and then another… But persecution? Nah. We don’t have the government threatening to kill us or our children unless we recant.
I’m rambling, I know. I told you I would. But I’m just so restless.
Come thou fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above
Praise His name, I’m fixed upon it,
name of God’s redeeming Love
Hitherto Thy love has blessed me,
Thou hast brought me to this place
And I know Thy hand will bring me,
safely home by Thy good grace
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger,
bought me with His precious blood
Oh to Grace, how great a debtor,
daily I’m constrained to be
Let Thy goodness like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
seal it for Thy courts above
This is one of my favorite hymns lately. I think it’s absolutely beautiful, of course. But, more than that, I am struck by the stark honesty of it all. After detailing but a few of the wonders and graces of God, the writer admits that he can’t control his own heart from wandering away from such a magnificent God!
I fail miserably at being honest about that. I am really great at acting like I have all the answers; I love to know theological arguments that help to explain the deep mysteries of Scripture. I’m great at talking about the majesty and justice and righteousness of God. I could discuss His endless wonder all day long. But, at the end of the day, how changed is my heart?
To be honest, sometimes it’s quite changed. Sometimes it’s so humbled by the goodness of God that it weeps. Sometimes it’s so anxious to be with the Source of its life that it pounds so hard against my chest that people start looking around for the marching band.
Sometimes.
But, there are too many times in between when it is completely unaffected by the thought of its bloodied Savior gasping and dying. Gasping and dying… gasping… yelling… dying. Roman saliva, Israeli dirt, and holy blood covering the beautiful Lamb of God, the Righteous One, the Hope of Israel.
Why isn’t my heart constantly weeping and rejoicing? Why is my heart prone to wander? Lord, I feel it! Seal it… please seal it with You. Because in between the sometimes-es, I am just a wretched, self-absorbed, spoiled American with a feeling of entitlement and a meal ticket I think I earned.
Lord, help me to feel the weight of your sacrifice and your triumph on this Resurrection Sunday. I can’t feel it unless you fight back the sin that is wrestling for control of my heart. I just can’t do it alone.
It is such a constant struggle to get outside of ourselves. We’re always thinking about our comfort, our happiness, our convenience. Too often other people (especially strangers or people we don’t like) are just obstacles to our innate, self-centered goals. We fail to really see people. We see cars in our way or idiots behind counters. They are never people. They are never created in God’s image. They are never Jesus.
