Tag Archives: Values

Maintaining moral standards or passing judgment?

Posted on February 25, 2013 by | Comments Off on Maintaining moral standards or passing judgment?

reading-bible_2316_1024x805Teaching at the college and university level for the past nine years has been an interesting part of my spiritual journey for many reasons.  I have seen college students fresh out of high school and away from home for their first year struggle with numerous temptations and sins – everything from sexual immorality to alcoholism and drugs.  I have watched as younger, spiritually-ill prepared students became caught up into the gross religion of humanism while some, facing problems that are larger than themselves, turn to Christ.

A couple of weeks ago I was asked a question by a student in my night class as to why does it seem that Christians pass judgment on others who do not adhere to the “preferred” lifestyle.  As I began asking questions in an attempt to find out how to best answer the student’s question, he added “after all, a real Christian is not supposed to judge others…”  He continued explaining how a member of his family had become a Christian and no longer participated in the activities that had once made the bonds of brotherhood close. As he continued to explain his views on what Christian judgment actually means it became obviously clear that he was mistaking judgment and Christian separation.  

During his earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus Christ taught that Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another (Mark 9:50). Taken with the teachings of the apostle Paul, And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2), we are to be different than the world.  We are, in the words of the apostle Peter, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul (II Peter 2:11b). What the lost world fails to understand is that it is not that we judge them; we simply choose to honor God rather than participate in activities that we believe would not only damage our Christian testimony but would bring shame to the name of Christ.

Proverbs truly contains a lot of biblical wisdom.  When Solomon wrote in the first chapter, If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse (Proverbs 1:11-14), it is as he looked forward in time and saw the power of peer pressure in today’s society.  It seems that negative peer pressure is hard to withstand; all through Proverbs, the reader is reminded that those who choose not to follow after God always entice those that do to follow their plans and schemes.  There’s a simple reason – if a follower of God does go along with the lost crowd and does the same things they do, it weakens the testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The lost see our acceptance and participation in fleshly activities as a sort of twisted endorsement of their actions.

When I was in graduate school I often heard the “oh, so you are too good to hang out with us…” and other jeers designed to pressure me to join the crowd of graduate students on their weekend activities.  I often heard the complaints that I was being judgmental because I chose not to attend their parties and weekend activities.  It couldn’t be farther from the truth; it was not out of judgment at all, but because I thought it more important to be able to present myself unblemished to God.  In fact, the apostle Paul had the same mindset, as recorded in the book of Acts: And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men (Acts 24:15-16).  It does not mean that Paul did not sin as a Christian but it does mean that Paul actively sought to avoid committing sin, participating in the appearance of sin, or falling to temptation.

While it is true that our lifestyles should reflect the values and will of our heavenly father, our lifestyles should also bear a quiet witness that God is a holy God.  The life we live should indicate that we are different than the lost world.  Our hearts should be broken when we do give in to the flesh and participate in activities that do not honor God.  Our heart’s desire should be, as in the words of Paul, to be able to present ourselves as acceptable to God rather than to seek the approval of men.

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Posted in Christian Living, Christian Responsibility, Our relationship with God, Standards

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A lesson of reflecting God as taught by a setting Moon

Posted on January 6, 2013 by | Comments Off on A lesson of reflecting God as taught by a setting Moon

Ohio River at Moonset

[Author’s note:  This year, I am making a conscious effort not to do anything on Sundays except for church and spending time with my family.  As a Christian, I feel that it is important to make the day that Christians choose to worship – Sunday – different than the rest of the week.  With this in mind, although this entry is posted on a Sunday, it was actually written beforehand.] 

This picture was taken back in late November as the mornings began to grow colder with the approach of winter.  As the moon was setting early in that cool and crisp morning I was captivated by the dark blues, purples, and hints of various shades of pink that accompanied the moon as it passed below the horizon.  I took this picture not knowing if it would even capture the slightest beauty of the moment.  A few days later, when I was uploading the pictures to my computer, I noticed that not only was the moment captured, but it turned out remarkably well – including the reflection of the moon on  the Ohio River.  As I look at that picture, I think of how we are called to reflect the love of Christ in our daily lives – not just to fellow believers but to all that we come into contact with during the day.

I know that in my own life I have struggled with this continually.  How can one reflect the love of Christ to those who have hurt us in the past?  How do we reflect that love to those who do not understand our dedication to Christ and openly ridicule our commitment to attend church and actively participate in its programs? How can we reflect the love of Christ to those who have not accepted what Jesus has done for them?  This is where I have learned that true Christianity is not just a religion but is also a life philosophy.  True Christianity should shape how we understand and relate not only to God, but to ourselves, to others, and to the world around us.  It is a real struggle for many, including myself, to willingly reflect the selfless love that Christ has shown to those that we have deemed unworthy to accept such unmerited grace.  However, just as the Ohio River didn’t have to think about reflecting the moon’s light on that cold November morning, we should not have to think about reflecting the love of Christ; it should come naturally and with very little effort.

I am reminded of the story of Moses and how during the exodus out of Egypt he went to the top of Mount Sinai and stayed for forty days and nights in the presence of the Lord.  As recorded in the book of Exodus: And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him (Exodus 34:29-30). Moses’ shining was the direct result of him being in the presence of the Almighty God; as he communed with God he began to take on the characteristics of God – the same light we read about Moses radiating was nothing more than a reflection of the holiness of God. In the New Testament we also see Jesus radiating light in Mark 9:3 as he communed with Moses, Elijah, and his three disciples.  The only difference is that while Moses was simply reflecting the light, Jesus IS the light: Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12).  When we have the light of life that Christ gives, we too, should be able to reflect that great selfless love that he willingly gives us.

As we go about our daily routines, there are two basic types of people we come into contact with – those who have been saved by accepting the free gift of salvation as offered by God, and the others are lost.  The apostle Paul wrote to the church at Thessaloniki: And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints (I Thessalonians 3:12-13).  Not only are we to reflect the love of the Lord Jesus Christ to fellow believers but also to those who are lost.  For those who are lost, the love of Christ we have within us should be drawing us to bear witness of that love: And of some have compassion, making a difference:  And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh (Jude 22-23).  Our heartfelt desire should be to see others accept the same salvation that was freely offered to us.  We should desire that others come to know and enjoy the unmerited grace and mercies of God through the completed work of Christ Jesus.

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The beautiful and simple message of the cross

Posted on January 5, 2013 by | Comments Off on The beautiful and simple message of the cross

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In extreme western Ballard County, Kentucky, overlooking the Mississippi River is the site of an old town and Army fort, Fort Jefferson.  Although the town and any remnants of the fort are long gone, on the site stands a gleaming white cross.  A small dirt road takes you from U.S. Highways 62/51 to the base of the cross that overlooks the convergence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.  There’s no state park, no attractions, and not even a paved road – there’s just a cross.  Each time I think about the day I found this place I stand amazed at its simplicity.  There were no highway signs, no tourist information stations – there was just a cross.

I was not brought up in a Christian home and did not have the benefit of really knowing who God was.  My father was career Army and as a family, we moved from duty station to duty station about every four years.  Although both parents claimed to believe in God, there was no evidence of God in our home.  We didn’t attend church regularly, there was no Bible reading, and no prayer.  There was no such thing as family devotions, a family altar, nor even any reference to God or the Bible in any of the decorations that adorned our houses.  Looking back at my past, I clearly remember visiting family in Altus, Oklahoma and my great grandmother, Edith Mae Craft, asking me if I wanted to pray for a meal; my response to her was “I’d love to, but I don’t know how.”  I believe I was around ten or eleven at that time.  Sometime later and while I was 13, I asked my mother why we didn’t go to church like one of my neighborhood friends.  Her response was was that she wanted me to make up my own mind about God when I became an adult and did not want me to feel forced to follow what she believed.

I came to know the Lord as my personal Saviour while I was eighteen years old and while attending at a community college tied to the University of Southern Mississippi.  At the time, I was a music theory and composition major and admittedly was struggling with a lot of issues – including spirituality, sexuality, alcoholism, depression, and even my own identity. Although legally an adult at the age of eighteen, I was not prepared for college life.  Had it not been for one of my college professors, Dr. James Whitman  I might never have heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ nor accepted the Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour.  He didn’t use a bunch of fancy words, discuss church doctrines, or even point to all my shortcomings and failures.  He simply taught me how God’s love for me was demonstrated on the cross.  I will never forget the five verses Dr. Whitman used to show me God’s love and grace:

  • Romans 3:10 – As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
  • Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
  • Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
  • John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
  • Romans 10:10 – For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

There’s nothing fancy or magical about the five verses he shared with me.  I will never forget that Friday evening of August 26th, 1988, with a conversation that began in the piano practice room and continued into my dormitory lobby as I struggled with the very real spiritual war that was being waged in my heart and mind.  There was no requirement that Dr. Whitman spend his own personal time trying to reach students.  He was not there as a college professor that night, but he was there as a man that was concerned with my eternal soul.  He was there to bear witness and as an answer to my broken prayers.  He was there to share the beautiful and simple message of the cross; the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus as atonement for my sins as a gift that all I needed to do was to accept it through faith.  That night, as we knelt down in prayer and I gave my heart to the Lord Jesus Christ, I felt that a tremendous weight had been lifted.  For the first time in my life I didn’t feel empty or alone.

Anyone that knows me knows that I’d like to say that from that point in my life it was all sunshine and roses, but it hasn’t been.  Unfortunately the church I began attending didn’t have a strong discipleship program and I did not remain in the Perkinston/Hattiesburg area much longer. At the end of the semester I joined the U.S. Army and spent nearly seven years serving nearly all over the globe.  Somewhere between basic training and my medical discharge in 1996  I returned back to the lifestyle I had become accustomed to while a child living at home.  It was not until 2006 that I decided to invest as much time in my personal discipleship as I did in my pursuit of higher education; if you want to see real spiritual progress in your walk with God, make Him a priority in your life.

My two year old daughter and namesake of my great grandmother, Edith is laying on the couch taking her morning nap.  Having lived through everything I have, I fully understand Joshua’s proclamation: And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD (Joshua 24:15). What my wife and I are doing with her is a matter of this decision Joshua made back then – a deliberate effort made to make God the center of our home.  She will be raised knowing that Sunday we go to church as a family, Wednesday night we gather at the church to study and pray with one another, and that God is real.  I do not want her to ever say she doesn’t know how to pray or that we didn’t want to teach her out of fear of forcing religion on her.  I want her to know the peace that God can bring into a life rather than the loneliness, desperation  and emptiness that the world offers.

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Posted in My Walk

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