Friday, April 20, 2018

Waiting on the Lord, or becoming stagnant?

I've noticed a trend when Christians are waiting on an answer from the Lord.  Christians (me included) always want an immediate answer from the Lord, whether yes or no, so we can move forward in whatever we think is the next step.  A lot of times, claiming to be waiting on the Lord isn't always resting in His sovereignty, but rather stalling ourselves from moving forward and, as a result, facilitating a season of stagnation.


1. Do what you want to.

One of the major inner conflicts Christians face when trying to discern God’s will is knowing the difference between God’s voice and their own desires.

Was that me or God?”

This is not only frustrating; it’s actually the wrong question. God sometimes leads us through our own desires and He’s the one who has placed those desires inside of us.  So if there is something you're interested in and want to do, go do it.

Make a decision, take a risk, chase a dream.....yes, I said it, chase a dream.  Keeping in mind, of course, God's sovereignty and God's commands. 

You don’t necessarily need God’s permission to go to a farewell party, where others would be drinking, for a good friend or go on a vacation trip that you've always wanted to go on; you already have it. (permission, that is) He designed you and gave you the desires you have for a reason. Go explore them and find out what that reason is (Maybe it's just a time of enjoyment, maybe there's a bigger opportunity the Lord has planned), but grow in the Lord in that endeavor.....and seek opportunities to be a witness for Christ in where ever you go.


2. Do what you have to.

The question really shouldn’t be, “What do you want to do with your life?” It should be, “What do you have to do with your life?”  With the life God has given you.

At the same time, what are you so passionate about or have always wanted to do that you feel you need to do?  What has grabbed your heart and wont let go? Go do that.

You never know the opportunities God has for you, in whatever circumstances you choose to create.

3. Do what magnifies God.


To magnify is to make something look bigger. Another way to say it is, do what makes much of God. Or to say it Biblically, “Whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God,” (I Cor. 10:31).

This can be just about anything.

You can magnify God as a plumber, an accountant or an actor on Broadway. You can magnify God by going to the local college, to Harvard, or even by not going at all. And you can magnify God, not by trying to find the most perfect, God-ordained spouse, but by being faithful to whoever you choose and are allowed to marry.

Magnifying God is only sourced from having a humble heart of worship, and you can do that with just about any life decision you make.


4. Do what’s in front of you.

This might be the most important one.

Many people believe they have a big calling, but they don’t want to do the hard work to get there and so, it's never pursued. Instead, they wait for God to drop a big opportunity into their laps, but following God's lead doesn’t mean you get to take a shortcut to where you think your calling might be.

You might want to be a CEO, or a successful artist, or a pastor. Those are all great desires, but none of those opportunities will just fall into your lap. They take time, experience and hard work, even if they are the Lord's will.

Our focus, though, should be doing the best at what's in front of us.  For the most part, that’s what you can have immediate say in and you won't become stagnant.

You can’t make someone hire you as a CEO, but you can work hard to earn a management position, and you can seek wisdom from other business owners you know. You can’t make someone pay you for your art, but you can start working on your art form or get to know others in that art form. You can’t make a church hire you as their pastor, but you can disciple the people around you and ask your pastor to mentor you.


Becoming stagnant is never a good idea for any Christian and following the Lord's will is always best, however it's not always easy to discern.  Thankfully, God leads his children in His plan for them, regardless of their choices. Yes, because of poor choices, God's plan for his children can be delayed, but with a studious heart to His word, constant prayer, and Biblically practical habits, that "dream" can turn into Godly opportunities for God's plan. Dreams may be out of reach, that’s why they’re called dreams, but the next step is not. It’s right in front of you.

Monday, April 9, 2018

Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and the Bible.

There’s no denying that Harry Potter has taken the world by storm and continues to.  It’s also quite clear that the Bible speaks out against sorcery and witchcraft. However, the vast majority of Bible believers have tried to find ways to defuse whatever the Bible says about sorcery by claiming that it has nothing to do with Harry Potter.

In Galatians 5:20, sorcery is listed as part of the “deeds of the flesh” along with things like idolatry, drunkenness, and fornication. “Sorcerers” are named in a similar list in Revelation 21:8. In Acts 19:19, those that practice magic brought their books and burned them when they turned to the Lord. In the Old Testament, Deuteronomy 18:10-14 WARNS the nation of Israel about the things they will face in their new land – like idolatry, child sacrifices, and witchcraft. 2 Chronicles 33:6 says that King Manasseh “practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him to anger”.  Clearly, in both the Old and New Testaments God was and still is against sorcery, witchcraft, and divination

So, how does that NOT apply to Harry Potter? The first claim is that the words mean something different than the kind of magic practiced in Harry Potter. Let’s look at the words. The Greek word (roughly transliterated) is pharmakeia. Yes, that’s where our word “pharmacy” comes from. Typically that leads people to say that this word is talking about drug abuse, thus it does not apply to HP.  While I can see why they make that claim, those that translated practically every English version of the Bible seem to think that it had to do with more than drug abuse.   Bauer's lexicon, a definitive lexicon on New Testament Greek, defines it as “sorcery, magic” and “magic arts” (Bauer 1049). Clearly it implies more than just simple drug use. However, even if it did, would Harry Potter’s use of potions pass this test?

What about “witchcraft”? This one is a little tougher since it isn’t used in the New Testament. The Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon defines it as one who practices “soothsaying or spiritism or magic or augury” (Strong #6049). So, witchcraft is a much broader term than sorcery. It includes magic, but it basically is about fortune telling and divining the future. These (sorcery and witchcraft) terms have everything to do with the kind of magic practiced in Harry Potter.

The next claim is that Harry Potter is just fiction and this kind of magic isn’t real, so there’s nothing wrong with HP. First, just because it is fictional doesn’t get us off the hook. Remember, sorcery was listed as a deed of the flesh along with idolatry and sexual immorality. I don’t know of any Christian that would make a case for watching movies where fornicators and homosexuals are the heroes. I have a hard time seeing how just saying “it’s fictional” makes it acceptable. Second, this magic may not exist as much today (although there are still practicing witches, warlocks, magicians, psychics, vampires and vampiresses, etc.), but it clearly isn’t a completely foreign idea. In Exodus 7, Pharaoh had sorcerers that would come out and try to match the miracles of God. This is why God felt it necessary to warn His people about these men in Deuteronomy 18. King Nebuchadnezzar also kept a staff of magicians, sorcerers, and conjurers in Daniel 2:2. While some may claim that people can’t work these acts today, it hasn’t stopped the wiccan “religion” from staying alive and well. It hasn’t disappeared completely, so saying that it is fiction or such a far-fetched idea that we need not worry about it, doesn’t work either.  Let's not forget that Ephesians chapter 6 warns that the Christian battles against SPIRITUAL wickedness.

Game of Thrones is another popular show among Christians.  Entertainment is not a neutral exercise. In every instance, it’s going to be a net positive or a net negative for the mental and spiritual welfare and inviting these messages, images, and ideas into the mind is detrimental. We are doing something that is active and purposeful, and it will either help or hurt in the end.

Music, movies, TV, games — we spend so much of our lives wrapped up in all this stuff because it affects us. There’s a reason why Americans still commit an inordinate amount of their income to cable bills, Netflix accounts, movie tickets, and video games. It’s important to us. Too important, clearly. But even in proper proportion, this is art, and art is a powerful thing. Art says something to us and about us. It drives us and transforms us. Art moves the heart and the mind in a particular direction. It can pull us closer to God or push us further away from our Creator, but whatever it does, it does something.

So anytime we sit in front of the tube, we should ask: Am I progressing or regressing? Is this drawing me to God or away from Him? What am I getting out of this?

The opposing argument, however, says that entertainment is never a moral concern. A thing is pleasurable because it is, and it is because it is. Why worry about it? Why analyze it? Just sit back and let it sweep you away into its world. Be so utterly passive and lethargic that you don’t even stop to think about what you’re thinking about. Become like a vacant shell, filled in and emptied again according to the whims of these glowing screens. If the entertainment industry says, “here, stuff this in your brain, it’ll feel good,” just do it and take whatever they give you. Take it and go with the flow.

Game of Thrones has certainly benefited from this careless attitude immensely, although sometimes they can take it too far, even by their audience’s permissive standards. Occasionally, the debauchery on the show runs a bit ahead of Hollywood’s campaign of desensitization, and viewers are confronted with material that they aren’t quite numb enough to accept (yet).

No, it wasn’t real, it was a fantasy, but that’s the point. A choice was made to include this material into an entertainment show about dragons and guys with swords. So what was the point? Why did it need to be shown? What purpose did it serve? What value did it have? And from the viewer’s perspective, is there ever a good reason to watch a rape happen, even if it’s just pretend?


Answers:

What was the point? Shock and spectacle.

Why did it need to be shown? It didn’t.

What purpose did it serve? Promotional tool.

What value did it have? None. Also, entertainment.


Is there ever a good reason to watch a rape? 

Of course not.

The arguments in defense of christians watching these show can be summarized as follows: The shows reveals the complexity of human nature and illustrates the ugliness of sin, therefore viewers can learn from it.

Seemingly clever rationalizations, but flimsy. Flimsy particularly because this could apply to literally everything that’s ever been filmed. By this line of reasoning, Christians should watch the bloodiest and most graphic imagery just to fully understand the realities of our imperfect existence.

Of course, the only thing worse than the “it shows what sin looks like” excuse is the “Christians shouldn’t hide from the culture” bit. And they’re correct. We shouldn’t hide. But we shouldn’t go along with it or follow its dictates or conform to it, either. (Romans 12:1-2) In this culture, lots of sins are considered fun, harmless, and entertaining. Do I need to actually commit them all, or watch someone commit them while I sit on my couch and cheer along, in order to not be guilty of “hiding”?

I mean, does anyone believe that the producers of the show choose to pepper it with non-stop nudity and sex in order to sharpen our moral sensibilities or to teach us something? Does anyone buy that? Is HBO filling the airwaves with graphic sex in order to show that man is fallen? They are indeed demonstrating that fact by putting this on TV, but is that their intent?  Doubtful. Whatever their intent, should we participate in it? Should we indulge in it? Is it cool to sit down once a week to watch something that we know will involve graphic sex and stylized violence? If you wouldn’t want your spouse watching that garbage on the internet, is it alright as long as there’s a more intricate story and better acting surrounding it?

I’m not saying that Christians should only watch children’s cartoons. I’m not saying Christians should insulate themselves from the culture entirely, or relegate all of their viewing habits to Charlie Brown specials or veggietales. The Bible tells us to protect our purity of heart and mind, and if those exhortations don’t apply to shows like Game of Thrones and  Harry Potter when and where do they apply?  


A simple illustration.

Perhaps we should treat our brains and souls with the same respect we give a kitchen sponge. You wouldn’t put your sponge in the toilet and then use it to clean your dinner plate. Why, then, do we let our brains absorb hours of filth every day and then think we can turn around and use those same minds to be decent, virtuous and Godly people in real life?

A lot of Christians (me included) are willing to write off bad language, sex scenes, or practices contrary to the Bible that we're commanded to avoid, in movies and books because we like the story. Let us never become desensitized.  Daily, we have to go back to Philippians 4:8 and guard our ear gates and eyegates with the Word of God.