2x4s and Sawdust

ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE ME...This has become the motto of this generation. It's amazing how a generation of people who only know about God but don't follow His ways can say this. I think it's because they use it as an excuse to do whatever they want without a difference of opinion or accountability. It amazes me how many times someone tells me a story and then when I comment on something they've done or said the immediate response is, "Don't judge me". I am convinced that half the time when people say that, they have no idea what it means. Saying "Only God Can Judge Me" is not a licensce to do whatever you want and get away with it. Many even misuse the Matthew 7 scripture that says

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Let's not forget that the Word also calls us to "speak the truth in love" (Eph 4:15), "carry each other's burdens" (Gal 6:2), and "restore [each other] gently" if our brother/sister is caught in sin (Gal 6:1). The problem is that we try to translate the Word of God into meaning something that we want it to mean when it pertains to us and our lives.
     If you look closely at the Scripture it doesn't say not to address the person who has the speck in their eye. This Scripture is encouraging accountability but in the proper order. We must take care of ourselves first before we can address anyone else. What do they tell you on an airplane? In the case of emergency the oxygen mask will fall from above. Put your mask on first THEN help others. It's not saying not to help others. It's saying help yourself first. The Scripture is saying to make every effort to clean up your own life first and then deal with the issue your brother may have. Once that happens then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
      There is such a double standard when it comes to this and my question is: are we Christians feeding into this or are we doing our best to change it. It seems that we as the body are doing the former. We are to build up and not tear down. If we as the body who are connected don't work together in the healing and restoration of the other parts, who is going to do so? When one of us hurts, ALL of us hurts. Let's keep that in mind before we are quick to judge each other.

"I want you to want me"

     So I got a message 2 weeks ago on Facebook from CPYU (http://www.cpyu.org/) that said to watch Oprah because it had to do with women and pornography/erotica. It was so sad. So very sad. My heart broke because I realized how love deprived our society is today and how they will do anything to fill that void inside of them.

     Jenna Jameson spoke about the fact that she entered into the industry wanting to change it. She wanted women to have more power and say in the things they were doing. She talked about how people had this misconception of her being with so many men when that was not the case at all. She said that she knew that she was going to make a lot of money and wanted to do it "her way". It was interesting though how when she spoke during the show, her attitude was about empowering women and having them take control of their careers. Then they showed a video interview.
     They showed her at her huge house in the huge foyer and the luxury cars parked out front. They showed her enormous kitchen and boat in the backyard and how she was living her dream. She said how she's always wanted all the things she has and now she is able to enjoy them because she was able to retire early from her lucratice career. She is now a mother of 7 month old twin boys Jesse and Journey and is living as a housewife. Then it went deeper. In her interview she talked about the maintenance of being a porn star- breast augmentations, waxing, shaving, eyebrow tattoo, and everything else that was required to remain employed. She said that no matter how old she is, she would always be known as a porn star and she didn't know how she would be able to explain that to her boys one day. She talked about the concerns she has when her kids grow up and other moms won't want to have their children play with her boys because of who she is. She began to cry as she thought about how her lifestyle choice affects her children. Even though she was raving about the success of her career she said that there was not one day that went by that she didn't think to herself, "Did I make the right decision?" She talked about how she could have chosen other options and no matter what choice she would have made, she knew she would have been successful. As she spoke I began to think of what happened to her that would cause her to want to enter into the industry. She then touched on the fact that she had a traumatic experience when she was younger but she didn't want to talk about. When she said that I thought, isn't that the usual story. Someone robbed a young child of their innocence and they are scarred for life in some way, shape, or form.
    Unfortunately we live in a sexually saturated society that is fueled by people's fears and insecurities. No matter what, everyone wants to be loved. No one wants to be alone and there are many people who are desperate enough to do anything that it takes to fill the void inside of them. No matter who they are - celebrity or vagabond - they want to wanted and society has used this as a foundation for a multi-billion dollar business. It feeds on the ebbs and tides of our emotions and our self-esteem. In the August edition of People Magazine Serena Williams said

"I think every female does that. We think we look good one day, and then the next day – or the next minute – we're insecure about something. Sometimes I look at myself in the mirror and am like, 'I want to lose my inner thigh. I've got to do an hour of cardio today,' or whatever. I try not to do it, but the insecurity comes back sometimes. I do want to look good still; I do want to be healthy."

I believe one of the cries of this society is found in this Cheap Trick Song

I want you to want me

I need you to need me

I'd love you to love me

And I'm begging you to beg me

I want you to want me

I need you to need me

And I'd love you to love me

I'll shine up my old brown shoes

I put on a brand new shirt

I get home early from work

If you say that you love me

It's sad to know that there are people willin to do whatever it takes to look for other people to fill the void that only God can fill. What greater love is there than the unconditional love the Father has shown and given to us! It is up to us to allow the love of God compel us to tell others about Who He is and what He's done.

What happened?!

This video of Stefani Germanotta (AKA Lady Gaga) in 2005 was just recently released on YouTube and when I saw it I was blown away at what I heard. I think you will be too.



This is a video of Katy Hudson (AKA Katy Perry) singing a song called "Faith Won't Fail". It talks about how no matter what she goes through, whether thrown in the fire or in prison, her faith will stand the test of time. (Start from about 1:10)

So WHAT HAPPENED?! How does Lady Gaga go from

to

And how does Katy Perry go from to 

It is so sad to know that 2 Cor 4:4 is so true "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

O Lord, help us who believe in You to shine Your light so that others may believe in You too. Help us to nurture those who are growing up in the faith to be all You have created them to be so that they will not be so easily distracted and tempted to do things that are not of You.

I know that there are many more that have converted to Christ and do wonderful things for the glory of Christ and this is not to disregard that. I wanted to shed light on how money changes people. It can happen to anyone especially those who think that they are the exception. We as the body need to make sure that continue to let Christ's love compel us to share the gospel with those who don't believe and nurture the gifts and talents of those who do. It is only then that the will of God can be released on this earth because His people will be living out their destinies and callings.

Apples and Oranges

1 Cor 12:12-31 is the passage where Paul talks about "One Body, Many Parts". This sense of community has really hard lately. We are ONE BODY. No matter what part of the body we represent we all make up the body, one unit.
I was talking to one of my friends last night about this and she said that reading the Purpose Driven Life has confirmed what God placed within her a long time ago: we are supposed to treat everyone as an extension of ourselves because we are a community (Common-unity). We are supposed to handle others' lives with the same care and concern that we would handle our own. We are called to take care of each other so that none of us are without. This is what the church did in Acts 4:

"All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had...There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need." (Acts 4:32, 34, 35)

Can you imagine what that would be like today if everyone shared to the point where there was no need among the members of the body of Christ? Is the Bible telling us today that we need to all the possessions we have? No. That is the way that the 1st century Christians chose to handle it. It is showing us what our connection looks like in the day to day life. 1 Cor 12:26 (Msg)  says, "If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt and in the healing." How many of us know someone in that is in need and we don't even think twice about it because it doesn't directly affect us? I know I do. But if I were to have the mentality that this passage talks about. This wouldn't happen. I'm not saying that we should be so bogged down and overwhelmed with the cares of others that we don't deal with our own lives. We need to do our part and address the issue in the spirit by praying. It's not all the time that we can do something practical but we can always do something in the spiritual for we are called to take part in the healing.
I am reminded of the movie My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding  when the father is giving his toast. He says,

 "You know the root of the word Miller is a Greek word. Miller come from the Greek word 'milo' which is mean 'apple' so there you go. As many of you know, our name, Portokalos, is come from the Greek word 'portokali' which mean orange...Here tonight we have ah, apple and orange. We all different, but in the end, we all fruit."

This is just the surface of how we are to view others. We need to make sure that we do not view one part or one person as more important than the other because at the end of the day, we are all fruit. Vs 24, 25(NIV) says,

"But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other."

None of us are more important than the other for God does not show favortism. If God Almighty doesn't show favortism then why should we? Does this mean we don't give certain people a heightened sense of honor? No. The Bible wants us to treat everyone with love and respect. We honor the title and the position of those that are in authority even if we don't necessarily agree with their behavior. No matter what they do, people deserve to be treated with respect because they are people. The latter part of vs 25 says that we should have equal concern for each other. No one is better and we as the body of Christ is should be the first ones to carry this out.

 John 13:34,35 says,

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Jesus is commanding us to love BELIEVERS in this passage. It is the love we show for each others as believers that draw non-believers to Christ. True love shows unity. True love exemplifies Christ. We are called to

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit throught the bond of peace. [For] There is one body and one Spirit just as you were called to one hope when you were called" (Eph 4:3,4)

How can we do this? LOVE. This is why the chapter right after the passage on the body is the LOVE CHAPTER. It's Paul's way of adding the practical means to the spiritual concept.

So the next time we hear about missionaries being persecuted or kids dying of AIDS, the next time you see a commercial about World Vision, Compassion International, Habitat for Humanity, and any other organization that has made strides to help those who are an extension of themselves, don't disregard it as unimportant because it doesn't affect you. Pray that the work that is done is carried out to the fullest so that all may experience the level of humanness that you do.

So sad

This blog is inspired by all the newborn and not yet born babies that have come across my path. It breaks my heart to see that this society has little to no sense of restraint or self-control. Isn't it ironic that we promote sex in pretty much every aspect of this culture and yet we are surprised and devastated by its negative effects? What do we think is going to happen when we engage in "safe" and unsafe sexual activity? Why do we think that we are exempt or special or an exception to the rule? Too many times we think that when we play with fire we will not get burned. The Bible says "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows" (Gal 6:7) My version of that verse is, "Don't get it twisted and don't abuse His grace. God will not break the rules for you." The saddest part of this is that people interpret this Scripture to mean that God is punishing or attacking them for not following His standards when that is not the case at all. God is a God of His Word. When we engage in behavior that may have life long consequences, we extend an invitation to let bad things come into our lives. Just because there is not an immediate response doesn't mean that one is not coming. Every time we send out that invitation, we await an RSVP. Often times we get fooled into thinking that when nothing happens to us the first few times, it will not ever happen. We forget that the longer we continue to engage in that behavior, the wider we open the door of bad things into our lives.
I think of the story of the persistent widow in Luke 18. Normally this story is referenced to show what we should do when we want to ask something of the Father; but I think this can be applied to the negative as well. When we consistently allow ourselves to be worn down by the standards of this world, we eventually give in even if we don't want to just so we can be left alone. ( BTW- The state of wanting to be left alone is so dangerous because we will do anything to achieve that goal. Things we wouldn't normally do, we at least consider just to be left alone. We need to be mindful of this state when we feel it coming upon us and do our best to not give in.)
I also have an issue with how we treat the information when we are made aware of it. We must understand that in the instance of a child on the way, we celebrate the life but we do not celebrate the behavior. We do not condone the action but we also do not dwell on it. We address it and move on. The best example of this is Jesus in John 8 concerning the woman caught in adultery. He dealt with the judgmental Pharisees by showing them the sin in their own lives. And when they left He dealt with the woman in love saying that He doesn't judge her but she should not continue to live a life of sin. We need to model this. Jesus spoke the truth in love as we are called to do in Eph 4:15. It's difficult but it's not impossible "for nothing is impossible with God" (Lk 1:37).
As we face these issues let us remember to use Christ as the example of accountability and love. It's big shoes to fill but He will help us to fill them.

What in the world!

I had started writing another blog about a week ago but it wasn't coming together. It was something about being judgmental and blah blah blah. While that is important, I think that what I am about to address holds more weight than judgments.
Has anyone noticed how the news has been innundated with natural disasters?! Last week it was about the devastating storms in Georgia that covers at least 10 counties. It was about a man who lost his child in his arms because a flood came and took the baby out of his hands. It's about all the people that have been displaced from their homes to centers and shelters.

Even more recently the news has been covering the earthquake in Southeast Asia that has killed at least 300 people. According to Neth Sophana of the Red Cross five members of the same family died when the storm toppled their home as they ate dinner. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090930/ap_on_re_as/as_asia_storm)

 

Lives are being lost, people are missing, families are devastated, and homes are being destroyed. WHY?Why is all this happening? I wish there was an explanation because then at that point there could be a solution and things would be able to be fixed. I remember when I first heard about these occurences. I instantly thought about the Scripture "creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed" (Rom 8:19). Could this be the reason why there has been so many natural disasters recently? Could it be that the earth is crying out and this is the only way that it can be heard? Could it be that these are the moments and opportunities for us as believers to love one another and by this we will reveal that we follow Christ (John 13:15)? Regardless of the reason these things are happening, let us not turn a deaf ear to it. Let us not ignore the things we can and should do to help whether it be doing something physically/financially or spiritually in prayer. Let us remember Matthew 25:35-40"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' "

In Not Of

For all of my life I have heard the constant reminder to be in this world and not of it. Instead of using this as a motivator to exemplify the life of Christ, I used it as a self-righteous motto to look down on and judge others who weren't living as "holy" as I was. I prided myself in not getting caught up in the activities that the "world" engaged in and my ability to maintain my Christian beliefs, standards, and doctrines that I had been so well taught. Even as I type this I shake my head in disappointment because had I been around in Jesus's time, He would have been speaking to me when He said, "You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean" (Matthew 23:27).
Now what does this have to do with the video embedded in the beginning of this blog? EVERYTHING. I was forwarded the link to this video and the title said that she was a "terrible role model". I watched the video and I wanted to cry. Not because I felt she was being a terrible role model but because I felt that she is caught up in an industry where there is so much pressure to maintain a certain image no matter what age you are. I wanted to cry because I looked at her face and thought, "I wonder where Miley is?" Is this the real Miley Cyrus or is it the Miley Cyrus that she needs to be in order to maintain the "success" and popularity she's accustomed to? My heart went out to her because I feel like she has so much pressure on her to be a great role model that she has no room to slip up. I know that we forget that she is only 16 years old. At 16 she is still trying to find herself- her purpose, identity, and place in this world. There are grown men and women who get caught up in the industry standards and can barely survive. Time and time again we hear of celebrities like Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Dave Chapelle, Shia LaBeouf and so many others who go through their "meltdowns" due to the stresses of the business. How can we expect a 16 year old girl to navigate through these waters without proper guidance? I'm not saying that she is exempt from her behaviors because she is old enough to have a basic sense of right and wrong. What I am saying is that there is more to this performance than it seems.
I follow Miley Cyrus on twitter and with almost every "tweet" there is a measure of sadness/depression. One particular tweet caught my attention last week. It said, "I can't remember the last time I felt beautiful. I hate being a girl sometimes. It's all good." Even with the statement "It's all good", there is an underlying sense of coming to the conclusion that there has to be something more to life than what is portrayed. With messages like these, I am able to see another reason why Miley performed the way she did. Like so many of us, she wants to feel accepted and appreciated and sometimes that means doing things that we wouldn't normally do. When we begin to focus on the wrong things, we begin to compromise our standards and make poor decision.
For Christians who continue to tear down those who profess Christ instead of build them up I challenge you to respond in a way that would set you apart as in the world and not of it. If your response to her performance is the same as those who are "of the world" then how are you making a difference. If Miley were to make a change in her life then who could she run to if there is no grace, no forgiveness, no second chance. If we as a followers of Christ do not show mercy and speak the truth IN LOVE, how can there be change? We need to protect her as a person through prayer. We need to show her that even though there was a poor sense of judgment on her part, we do not cast judgement on her anymore than Jesus Himself would. We need to guide her as if she were our own and show her that she is still valuable and precious without the need to succumb to the pressures of society.
To Miley Cyrus: If you ever read this I want to let you know that you are a beautiful young girl who is under a lot of pressure. Everyone around you is telling you that you need to behave a certain way. I would ask you to seek God. Since you have declared Him as your Lord then trust that He will show you how to present yourself. Trust that He will lead you and guide you and protect you no matter what. Trust that He will allow you to prosper without compromising your faith and your beliefs. Thank you for crediting Him with your talents, gifts, and abilities. Make every effort to reflect Him in all you do. Remember that above all, He is the One Who should be smiling and pleased with your performances and anything less than that is no good.Please do not fall into the trap of using this as a reason to justify any past, present, or future behaviors. Use it as a standard by which you live. I love and am praying for you.

Worship

As a worship leader at my church, one of my jobs is to, well, lead people into worship. I've often wondered why people hold back. I wonder why they worship God in a half-hearted way I mean, it's GOD! He doesn't bless you half-heartedly. Why treat Him that way? But then I realize that it could be that people's experiences with and views of Him are distorted and skewed based on their upbringings and poor teachings. I realize that sometimes people, myself included, just go through the motions. It's not that we don't love God. It's just at that moment, we are thinking about ourselves and not focusing on Him. I also realized that I shouldn't judge but I should read between the lines (pun DEFINITELY intended). God doesn't look at the outward appearance so why should I? (1 Sam 16:7)
And then I wondered about those who don't necessarily have a lifestyle that would lead one to believe that Christ is their Lord and Savior. I sometimes think that maybe they don't worship Him because they don't want to or don't think He exists. Maybe they just don't know how to. And then I really thought about it. It's not possible that people don't know how to worship God. We are all born with a fundamental calling to worship and when we don't worship God we find something else to take His place whether we realize it or not. Worship means that we completely lose ourselves in that person, place, thing, or idea that we are focusing on. Worship means prioritizing whatever it is that we find has value or WORTH. Worship is a lifestyle so whether it be a ball club or clothes or music or role models or food, it consumes our daily lives in some way- in thought or in action. In some way, it affects our decisions consciously or subconsciously. What does that look like? Glad you asked...
I was reviewing the Michael Jackson memorial videos on YouTube and I stumbled across Beyonce's Halo tribute at the Essence Music Festival.

When I watched it, I immediately thought, "This is how God wants His people to worship Him!" He wants us to completely abandon ourselves to Him no matter who is around. He wants us to be open about our feelings and experiences as to what He has done in our lives. He wants us to testify about it just like Beyonce did in this video.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying this wasn't an emotional moment for her. I do NOT want to discredit her feelings or experiences with Michael Jackson. However, if Michael Jackson's death can bring someone to tears and to their knees, if his death can cause many who don't even know him or barely even heard of the things he did to now all of a sudden pay homage to him, if Michael's death can affect an entire globe then how much more should the death and resurrection of Christ cause the world to draw closer to God! How much more should there be a response to desire to get to know God better! How much more should people be appreciative of the fact that a loving God sent His only Son to die on the cross for their sins because He wants them to be with Him in heaven for all eternity! How much more powerful should Jesus' resurrection be! As influential as he was, Michael Jackson will never come back from the dead; but Jesus already has!  How many people, even those who claim to follow Christ, worship Him with the abandonment that Beyonce showed in this video? It's time we reevaluate our lives and see what it is we abandon ourselves to. So I ask you the question: What is it that you worship?

#1

WOW! I'm so excited to be doing this! Between the lines is designed to do just that, read Between the Lines. I will address different things in the culture and in my own life that I feel are important. Some will be only be my opinion, some will be God speaking through me. I pray that as you read this your eyes would be open to receive something different.

To start off this blog the right way, I dedicate it to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is only through You that I am able to be refreshed, revived, and renewed each day. I take full advantage of the new mercies that You give to me every morning. My comfort...is this: Your promise preserves my life (Ps 119:50). Thank You Father for Your many blessings. Thank You for not forsaking me or giving up on my. Thank You for always having my Best interest in mind all the time. I pray that the words I say would bring You all glory, honor, and praise that is due Your name for You are truly AWESOME! I love You Father and am in love with You!