Category: Christianity

Minister in Your Workplace

Posted on by

Perhaps you saw the Mel Gibson movie, The Passion of the Christ. It was all about last twenty-four hours of Jesus’ life. During one flashback scene, Jesus was in his carpentry shop making a table with his mother standing by playfully observing. It was a beautiful scene that reminded me that Jesus was a carpenter for most of his life. In fact, in the eyes of the people, Jesus was more qualified to be a carpenter than the Son of God. Jesus had a history of which they all knew. He was a young working class man from Nazareth.

 

I recently read Os Hillman as he comments on the public life of Jesus:

Consider that in the New Testament of Jesus’ 132 public appearances, 122 were in the marketplace. Of 52 parables Jesus told, 45 had a workplace context. Of 40 miracles in the book of Acts, 39 were in the marketplace. Jesus spent his adult life as a carpenter until age 30 before he went into a preaching ministry in the workplace. And, 54% of Jesus’ reported teaching ministry arose out of issues posed by others in the scope of daily life experience. Saint Bonaventure said, “His doing nothing ‘wonderful’ (his first 30-years) was in itself a kind of wonder.”

Work, in its different forms, is mentioned a lot in the Bible; more than all the words used to express worship, music, praise, and singing combined. God created work and He is a worker Himself (Gen 2:1-2). Adam is given a task way before the fall; he is to work the garden (Gen 2:15). Jesus tells us about the work of the Father, and that He, too, is to be at work (John 5:17).

My point is that the next time you are tempted to minimize your daily work as anything less than a holy calling, remember that Jesus was a minister in the workplace; a carpenter in his community. He has called you and me to reflect His glory in our everyday work.

[print_link]

Harmony in Your Marriage

Posted on by

Take a look at 2 Timothy 2:24. Basically we are refrain from quarreling, and be kind to people. Sometimes it’s hard to do that! But in reality, who said the Christian life was easy? What about living this out in your marriage?

 

Quarreling in a marriage can become a problem; I’m not just talking about disagreements. I recently read this observation and illustration:

 

“Women look at the world through pink sun­glasses, while men look at that same world through blue sunglasses—and, believe me, they do not necessarily see the same thing!

 

“My favorite illustration of this is when a wife says, ‘I have nothing to wear,’ she means she has nothing new to wear. When her husband says, ‘I have nothing to wear,’ he means he has nothing clean to wear. Each uses the same words but means something differ­ent based on pink and blue views!”  —Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, Cracking the Communication Code.

 

Avoid a Bad Connection

Breakdowns in communication between men and women are not exactly rare. Imagine this, a husband leaving the house may yell in his wife, “Honey, I’m going out to buy a hammer.” Harmless, right? Well, it depends. If it comes after a week of late nights at the office and compounding emotional separa­tion, the wife may actually hear, “Hey, what’s-your-face, I’d rather roam the hardware store instead of be with you.”

 

Conversely, a well-meaning wife may offer her time to spruce up the yard, but the husband hears her words as a backhanded attack on his ability to get things done.

 

Communication between the genders can be com­plex. Men and women process life differently, and our understanding of the conversa­tion or action will often differ dramatically. Most of this meaning-seeking is harmless, but if there are any lingering grudges based on real or imagined prior offenses, the next conversation can go in the wrong direction in a hurry.

 

Strive to Live in Harmony

In 1 Peter 3:8-9, Peter encourages husbands and wives to “be compassionate and humble, not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing.” What great advice! Rather than simply fly off the handle at anything that even sounds like it might be the least bit critical, we husbands need to exercise self-control and seek to listen and understand before anything else.

 

Overreacting often leads to marital conflict.

[print_link]

You Have to Give Up Everything?

Posted on by

These are notes to my lesson for the New Beginnings class on Sunday, January 4th, so if this post seems a little disjointed you’ll know why. Week two is found here.

 

Imagine the difference between a salad vs. a salad bar? Think about it; once everything is piled up can you really call it a salad?

  • Traditional methods are plenty in the church – evangelism, outreach, Bible study…
  • Which evangelism methods do you know?
  • Do they all come down to a verse to memorize and a prayer to pray?
  • This encounter seems too easy.

Look at Jesus in action – Mark 10:17-31.

 

Jesus could have said, “Your question is flawed, you can’t DO anything…” Jesus never mentions faith! In fact, He tells him he has not done enough!

  • When have you felt that you needed just one more thing to do to get this spiritual life thing right?
  • What is the relationship between what you do and what you believe?

Who was the rich young ruler?

Matthew mentions he was young, Luke mentions he was a ruler. He ran to Jesus, what does this action indicate? He humiliated himself publicly! What sort of profile can you build based on his question?

 

Two facts:

  1. He calls Jesus “good” (a word not lightly used, in fact it really referred to God alone, so, he had already come to some serious conclusions about Jesus).
  2. The man was at the end of his rope (he’s running, in the wind, in the dust, kneeling, asking an question – with an answer anyone would know).

The man’s unfair reputation over the years:

  • Is he proud, self-righteous, spoiled, and haughty?
  • Perhaps he’s more like a disillusioned church kid who knew all the right answers, done the right stuff but still feels unfulfilled.

Keep the Law?

Two times the disciples are amazed – why at Jesus’ response here?

  • This guy more than anyone else was blessed – he had money, power, position…
  • If one is poor, hungry, sick, you were definitely not blessed by God.
  • Jesus asked this guy to get rid of everything that was considered a blessing of God.
  • Beatitudes: blessed are the poor, not the rich. A redefinition of what it means to be blessed by God. How do you define blessing? Are you blessed?

Another shock for the twelve? It’s not about doing, it’s about receiving! But Jesus’ response goes against all we know about grace. Yet in the midst of all the rule-keeping, he had missed something.

 

The Hidden Key? Mark 10:21

Jesus loved him before he did anything else, even before the man refused to do this one more thing.  We want to reverse the order, do something, and then receive the love.

  • When have you felt that Jesus is judging your performance? That He’ll love you more if you do better?
  • When you are well connected to Jesus, how is life affected?
  • In what ways do you feel that you need to prove your love for God?
  • What other relationships do we have where we need to justify why you deserve to be in that relationship?

Identity Check

Consider how people define themselves. Imagine you’re at a party, what is the usual conversation? Our identity appears to be wound up in what we do.

  • What three things do you usually tell people about yourself?
  • How important are career and achievement to your identity?
  • How many friends REALLY know you, not just know facts about you?
  • How well do you feel that you know yourself?

Career, education, position, family name… all can crumble around us, but who are we? Here’s the point of the story. This is the question Jesus was trying to get the young ruler to ask: The man knew how people defined him (like us, as a rich young ruler), Jesus wanted to get to his core, so selling his possessions, even considering it, would strip this man of his identity. In this life crisis, he could define himself the way Jesus wanted. In what was his faith?

 

The identity question can only be answered in the moment of crisis, when your life is altered or threatened. Who was the rich young ruler when all of his possessions were gone? That’s the point Jesus was moving him towards. How do I know? Mark 10:13-16.

 

Become like children

In this society children were not really people. They offered nothing to mainstream culture. But for Jesus, these nobodies embodied the qualities that were kingdom-worthy. Jesus wanted this man to embrace nothingness to experience the kingdom. The old things have passed away, behold all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Nobodies don’t rely on trivial marks of identity. Their significance comes from a deeper source!

 

The rich young ruler could not embrace an existence where he brought nothing to the table. He could not stomach the crisis of nothingness.

 

Can you hear the Scripture? Can you feel Jesus trying to pull from your fists whatever is keeping you from true poverty, and thus, true wealth? Go and sell your self-righteousness, sell you drams of fame and fortune, sell your popularity, sell you comfortable future, come and trust Me…

 

Are you living a life defined by Jesus? Is there anything in life that you need to trade off so you can have true faith?

Communicating With Your Children

Posted on by

I recently read a story about Ken…

 

“Ken squandered many opportunities to connect deeply with his sons, to communicate things that would have made their lives better. But he is thankful for those times when they did connect more than superficially—the breakfasts before school, the weekend “guy trips,” the bedtime conver­sations and prayers. The love and respect they now have for one another testifies to the effectiveness of those occasions and God’s mercy and grace.”

 

The Bible is full of wisdom when it comes to life and relationships, and Proverbs 5:1 tells us about a father desiring to pass on life insights to his son. Although in context this passage refers to a father warning his son about the temptation and enticement of women, I believe that we can broaden the appeal of this verse to include fathers desiring to pass on wisdom and life lessons to all of our children, not just sons.

 

We want our children to pay attention to our “wisdom” because we don’t want them to go through the same things that we did; the pain, the hurt, the mistakes, the sorrow, many things about which we are not proud (and we keep from telling our kids). But when we share life wisdom, are they listening?

 

The Same Old Story

Much has been written about the conflict between fathers and sons. Throughout history they have often struggled to understand each other, get along with each other, respect each other, accept each other, and even love each other. No national­ity, religion, or generation seems exempt from this struggle.

 

We shouldn’t find it surprising, then, that father-son conflicts are found throughout litera­ture, including the Bible. The tragic relationship between King David and his son Absalom (2 Samuel 13-19) is a classic example. Yet, by the grace of God, some fathers and sons have largely avoided this struggle. How have they done it?

 

Writing Your Own Story

The trite but not-too-surprising answer is usually something like “you need to have good com­munication.” Of course, the time to start working on that is always now, but how to do it may vary based on the age of your kids. Maybe this can help:

  • Put your children on your calendar. If I don’t write it down, it generally will not get done.
  • Block out time for the two of you to be alone. Give yourself time and opportunity to be together.
  • Engage in activities that you both enjoy but also allow for meaning­ful conversation. Sometimes it is the ride to and from the event, or over the lunchtime you shared.
  • Avoid long lectures. Instead, humble yourself and seek to listen as much as you talk.
  • Encourage your kids to ask questions and then answer them tactfully and patiently.

 

Over time, your kids will grow to trust and love you.

 

Pay It Forward

Sir Charles Barkley once said, “I am not a role model.” But dads, you need to be. The “strong, silent type” is not the best role model for your kids, they need to know the real you. Talk with them; spend time with them. Open your heart and your life to them. Share the wisdom that you have, that which cost you so much to gain.

 

The Ties That Bind

Posted on by

The Christian life is all about relationships. Think about the people you have in your life (right now and in the past) and what they mean to you.

 

REMEMBER YOUTH RETREATS?

If you’ve ever been to youth summer camp, you probably know the drill. Everybody packs into a dimly lit room, where there’s a candle (or maybe a ball of yarn) that is passed from person to person. Each person tells the next why they’re special. When the yarn has made its way around the room, and it’s all said and done, the bonds between the people in the room will have grown deeper just because a few simple words of appreciation were said.

 

Yet that sense of unity doesn’t have to end when the retreat ends. A sincere show of appreci­ation can be offered anytime and it’s one of the best gifts we can give someone. It’s a way of let­ting them know that they matter to us, that we value them, that they’re important. And every­body likes to hear that. Everybody craves that.

 

SHOW APPRECIATION

The Bible tells us to show appreciation for others. In Philippians 2:29, Paul says to the Philippians concerning his buddy, Epaphroditus, “Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard.” In other words, show that you appreciate him, encourage him, because he deserves it!

 

There’s not a right or wrong way to show appreciation for someone, but it needs to be gen­uine. Look for good in other people and express appreciation in real and meaningful ways. This will bless both of you and strengthen your relationship. This works with friends; it works with your wife!

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

At the start of this New Year, look for an opportunity each today to show appreci­ation to someone. It’s the sort of thing that once we do it, the more we want to do it.

 

Perhaps you want to show your appreciation to someone. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Completely out of the blue, give them an unex­pected gift.
  • Drop them an encouraging e-mail.
  • When you go out to lunch, pick up the check.
  • Give your friends a date night with their spouses by watching their chil­dren.
  • Send a Hallmark Card, or a Dayspring Greeting.
  • Make a donation to their favorite charity.
  • If you’re given a unique opportunity, take your friend along for the ride.
  • Thank them publicly for what they’ve meant to you.
  • Brag on the characteristic that blesses you the most.
  • Show how you care through some random act of kindness.

[print_link]

Can a True Christian Deny the Virgin Birth?

Posted on by

While I never have claimed to be a theologian, I read Al Mohler’s scholarly article on this topic and he summarizes and illustrates the issue:

Can a true Christian deny the virgin birth? The answer to that question must be a decisive No. Those who deny the virgin birth reject the authority of Scripture, deny the supernatural birth of the Savior, undermine the very foundations of the Gospel, and have no way of explaining the deity of Christ.

Anyone who claims that the virgin birth can be discarded even as the deity of Christ is affirmed is either intellectually dishonest or theological incompetent.

Several years ago, Cecil Sherman–then a Southern Baptist, but later the first coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship–stated: “A teacher who might also be led by the Scripture not to believe in the Virgin Birth should not be fired.” Consider the logic of that statement. A Christian can be led by the Bible to deny what the Bible teaches? This kind of logic is what has allowed those who deny the virgin birth to sit comfortably in liberal theological seminaries and to preach their reductionistic Christ from major pulpits.

Christians must face the fact that a denial of the virgin birth is a denial of Jesus as the Christ. The Savior who died for our sins was none other than the baby who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and born of a virgin. The virgin birth does not stand alone as a biblical doctrine, it is an irreducible part of the biblical revelation about the person and work of Jesus Christ. With it, the Gospel stands or falls.

I have to admit that I find his teaching to be intriguing and thought provoking, if not downright logical. But for me, the discussion must also include the doctrine of salvation itself. Just what is salvation and what is it that makes one a Christian; a follower of Jesus or a disciple of Christ?

  1. Is a true Christian one who believes a defined set of propositional statements about Jesus?
  2. Is it that one knows and understands the Four Spiritual Laws?
  3. How much of the Bible must one know and understand and believe to be saved?

If we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), if we answer the call to “Follow Me” (Matthew 4:19), if we confess that Jesus is Lord, and believe that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10) and we call upon the name of the Lord (Romans 10:13), where is the command to believe in the virginal conception of Jesus? Back to Al Mohler’s point, it is not about belief in the virgin birth, but the active denial of it.

I believe that we can be saved without the knowledge of the virgin birth, but once we learn about it, how could a true believer not accept this detail that explains the divinity of Jesus? How can someone read the Bible, claim to believe in its truth and accuracy, and at the same time deny the passages that talk about the virgin birth? Is it the same as John’s instruction about those who deny that Christ came in the flesh (2 John 1:7, 1 John 4:3)? What do you think?

[print_link] [email_link]

The Rest of the Christmas Story

Posted on by

Imagine that all your dreams come true, and they would if you could only get that big break. But what happens if you get that break? Life comes with trade-offs. Fame steals your privacy. Power and position can rob you of real friends. That promotion with more income and responsibility can erode spending time with your family. Mary’s life was filled with good news and bad news. She was chosen to be the mother of the Messiah, but along with that honor would come great pain and sorrow.

While the birth of Jesus was fulfillment of prophecy, the rest of the prophetic story would bring hardship to Mary’s heart. She experienced the joy of being a part of God’s great plan, of bringing the Messiah into the world, of birthing the hope and consolation of Israel. But, later we know that the path of Jesus led to the cross. Mary would stand at the foot of that cross witnessing her Son die for not only her sin but for the sins of the whole world.

Guys, it is hard for us to think about feelings, we’re just wired differently, but try to put yourself in Mary’s shoes for a few moments:

  1. Luke 2:41-50 – How does she feel when she realizes that her first-born child, at age 12, is not really her own, that He will always have a greater purpose, or greater business to attend to?
  2. John 2:1-11 – Jesus is not just some independence-seeking adolescent not wanting to clean his room. Jesus is operating according to His own timetable. Mary must have been hurt by his response in John 2:4.
  3. Mark 3:31-35 – Jesus may well have had a large family, and one day they came to see Him. Surely He would drop everything to come and see them, but He doesn’t. He has a new family now, people who are listening to His teaching. This show of independence must have hurt Mary as well.
  4. John 19:26-27 – The next time we see Mary is at the crucifixion. Her pain and grief would be obvious, and unbearable. She knew Jesus needed to die for the salvation of the world, but this knowledge did not make it easier to watch. Joseph named Him Jesus because He would save His people from their sin. Although she was caught up in something much bigger than herself, did that knowledge help her to accept the sorrows of life more easily?

Let’s get personal. What prophecies are you fulfilling? Take a look at John 17:20-21.

  1. Who is Jesus praying for?
  2. What does Jesus pray for?

Look for ways that you can be a part of God’s program.

  1. The first is being connected to the Father.
  2. Then comes a connection to other believers.
  3. Finally, there is the challenge of bringing others around you into a faith relationship with Christ.

Now check out John 14:12:

  1. What good works does the Father have for you?
  2. What “greater works” (than Jesus) does God expect you to do?

When you have way more time on your hands, check out these Messianic prophecies:

Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:7, Micah 5:2, Malachi 3:1, Isaiah 42:7, Isaiah 61:1, Zechariah 9:9, Psalm 41:9, Zechariah 13:7, Isaiah 53:3, Psalm 35:11, Isaiah 50:6, Zechariah 12:10, Psalm 22:1, Isaiah 53:8, Isaiah 53:12, Psalm 49:15, Psalm 68:18, Daniel 7:13.

[print_link] [email_link]

Nativity Mythbusters

Posted on by

This past Sunday we looked at the census, the announcement to the shepherds and the young couple’s experience at the nativity in Bethlehem. The focus was on the popular image that we have of the nativity, and how Christmas cards influence our understanding of the birth event more than our knowledge of the realities of childbirth.

We often sanitize the event, ignoring the dirt, smells, stench, pain and chaos that would have been present during a birth in a stable some 2000 years ago. We “holify” the couple as superhuman characters who deal with all of these challenges. We don’t hear the baby cry, smell the soiled diapers, or see Mary sneezing due to the hay.

I love that show Mythbusters. What would Adam and Jamie discover if they visited the nativity?

  1. Were there angels singing? Luke 2:10 says the angels were speaking, not singing. Luke 2:13 mention the angels praising God and “saying…” Busted.
  2. Was Jesus born on the same night they arrived in Bethlehem? Luke 2:6 only mentions that while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. It could have been several hours or several days or several weeks. Not clear.
  3. Was Jesus born in a stable? The Bible does not mention a stable. It is only from Luke 2:7 that we get this idea, since the baby was laid in a manger, a feeding trough for animals. Busted.
  4. Was there an innkeeper? Luke 2:7 simply mentions a fact that there was no room in the inn (inn is found in more traditional translations), but there was no record of an innkeeper closing the door on the desperate couple. Busted.
  5. Was there “no vacancy” at the Bethlehem Holiday Inn? There is an interesting word comparison in the gospel of Luke. Luke 2:7 and Luke 22:11 use the same Greek word (kataluma) translated inn and then guest house. Both would assume a place of lodging for guests, but read on. Perhaps Mary and Joseph were planning to stay at the home of relatives. A typical home arrangement would be a central courtyard with rooms arranged around it, guest sleeping in a barracks-style formation. A larger home might have a second floor called the upper room (like for Jesus and His last Passover). Since the house could have been full of relatives (all coming to Bethlehem for the census) this crowded home was no place to give birth (remembering the realities of childbirth – pain, screaming, blood, etc.). So, Mary may have descended to a more private place for the birth, away from children and other relatives. Interesting possibility.
  6. Was Joseph alone with Mary to deliver the baby? While Scripture is silent on this, the assumption is, yes. But if the scene above is a possibility, female family members may have been there to aid Mary in the birth. Interesting possibility.
  7. Where’s the little drummer boy? Nice story, but totally made up. The importance of the holiday in church life has given rise to many auxiliary stories and legendary characters! Strike all the stories about Frosty, Santa, Rudolph, Scrooge, and even Christmas Shoes. Busted.
  8. Were there three kings from the orient? The Scripture mentions that magi came, following a star, which led them to Jerusalem (Matthew 2:1-2) and then to Bethlehem (Matthew 2:9), but it does not mention how many. Magi were the wise men, perhaps the astronomers of the day, not kings. The only reason we sing about three wise men, is because there were three gifts given. Busted on kings, three is ambiguous.
  9. Did the magi visit Jesus in the manger? Matthew 2:11 mentions that they came into the house to present him their gifts, not a stable. Busted.
  10. Does your nativity have shepherds and wise men in the same scene? A closer look at the story indicates two separate events. Matthew 2:16 tells us that Herod sought to kill all males two years old and younger, according to the time determined from the magi. Perhaps it took a while for the magi to arrive in Bethlehem. Busted.

The emphasis is that Mary and Joseph, although willing to go along with this whole Messiah plan, might have felt that this was not what they signed up for. This is unfamiliar territory, being harder than they anticipated. The lesson for us should be that when we follow God’s leading, and life gets harder, keep the faith! We cannot be like the freed Israelites wanting to go back to Egypt just because it gets a little tough in the wilderness!

Merry Christmas to you all. Keep the Son in your eyes,

Scott

[print_link] [email_link]

Christian Theology According to Horton

Posted on by

It takes me a while before I see most movies; I generally wait for them to come out on DVD! I saw Horton Hears a Who this past week and needed to share my theological insights that I see in the movie. Bottom line for me, it’s about being faithful to your beliefs. This is a long post so pace yourself, but you might find this interesting and might use it for teaching at some point:

Horton seems to have a bigger picture of the universe and his place in it: The kangaroo leader of the community tells him, “There are no people that small.” Horton then responds with a philosophical question, “Maybe they’re not small, maybe we’re big, no wait, think about it. What if there is someone really big looking down on our world and to them, we’re the speck?”

Horton is confronted with an evolutionist, naturalist worldview: The kangaroo continues, “Horton, there is nothing on that speck… if you can’t see, hear or feel something, it doesn’t exist. And believing in tiny imaginary people is just not something we do or tolerate here in the jungle.”

If you’re small and can’t defend yourself, we can get rid of you: The kangaroo calls the Who’s in Whoville “imaginary people on a speck.” – considering my pro-life position, I see this as a naturalistic pro-choice stance on abortion, it is not a baby inside the womb, a fetus is not a little person. You can’t see, hear or touch it, so they don’t exist, and therefore expendable.

Religious ideas and language can be dangerous: The kangaroo believes that ideas which go contrary to her worldview are dangerous. “I do not want you poisoning the minds of the children with this nonsense.”

Horton as a higher being talks with the lower beings: Horton talks to the mayor (as God did with Noah, “build me an ark” or Abraham, “go to a land that I will show you”)… Horton says, “I knew there was life on this speck” to which the mayor replies, “What speck? I’m sorry to say this O voice from the drain pipe, but I live in Whoville.” Horton’s perspective is, “Then Whoville is a speck.”

Mankind seeks to identify a higher power: The mayor questions Horton on his identity, “Ok, Horton, where are you?” Then Horton replies, “I guess from where you’re standing, I’m in the sky. Compared to you, I’m enormous. Your whole world fits on a flower in my world.” Imagine God saying the same thing to us.

People seek to understand their place in the universe: The mayor tries to understand the grand scheme of their situation. Horton says, “We come from completely different worlds but some how we managed to make contact. Is everything OK down there?” to which the mayor replies, “You tell me, you’re the one holding the speck!”

The enemy desires to force God’s people into silence: The kangaroo threatens Horton to hand over that clover. Horton says, “No, there are people on this speck, and a person is a person no matter how small.” This angers the kangaroo, “You just crossed the line Horton, and I’m gonna make you pay.” – I see this as Horton’s declaration of being pro-life, and the naturalist establishment threatens and ridicules those who stand up for life. The kangaroo then enlists the help of the vulture to get rid of the speck and it’s tiny people, she claims she is too much of a lady to get her hands dirty. She eventually is on a crusade to kick Horton out of the jungle for his beliefs (in these small people).

Christians are to be witnesses for the truth: The mayor decides he needed to tell the people about what is going on. He declares a state of emergency and the influential council chairman (like the Pharisees) says, “Not to worry, the mayor is just being a moron.” The mayor insists that everyone is in danger and must get to safety. Let’s do this democratically. “Who wants to go ahead with the celebration as planned? Or hide in the underground storage area?” The Chairman says, “The people have spoken, no one believes you.” To which the mayor whispers, “No, Horton believes me.” “Horton? Who’s Horton?” the mayor witnesses to the fact that “Horton is a giant elephant in the sky. And he is the one risking his life to get our world to safety.” There is laughter by the people.

God seeks us to save us: The vulture who stole the clover with the speck drops this one clover in a field of same colored clover. Horton searches for and finds the one clover. Christ has come to seek and save that which is lost. He searches for the prodigal son and rejoices when one who was lost is found.

The mayor witness to the fact that Horton is the savior: Horton finally speaks and the people hear him. “It must have been rough down there. You really had me worried.” Then the Mayor says, “Friends, I would like you to meet our friend, Horton. He’s going to help us.”

The enemy fights to the very end: The kangaroo is not finished, saying, “Horton is attacking our way of life. Will we let troublemakers like Horton poison the minds of our children? When Horton tells our children about worlds beyond the jungle, he makes them question authority, which leads to defiance, which leads to anarchy.” – Our spiritual enemy wants to silence the message that we have to share, a message about life, understanding there is one greater than ourselves, caring for us and looking out for us, one to whom we are responsible for our behavior.

It is always possible to sell your soul and deny the truth: The kangaroo, in a final plea for compliance, says, “All this trouble you’re in can all go away. All you have to do is admit to everyone that there are no little people living on that speck. That you were wrong, and I was right.” I see this like Martin Luther being persecuted for his challenge to the Catholic church, where he replies, “Unless I shall be convinced by the testimonies of the Scriptures or by clear reason … I neither can nor will make any retraction, since it is neither safe nor honorable to act against conscience… Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. Amen.”

Salvation is free but we must respond in faith: To be saved, the Who’s must make noise to convince those who do not hear that they are really alive on the speck: “We have to make some noise, every Who!” They cried, “We are here, we are here.” – Remember that people are people no matter how small, and God knows every one. The call of Christ is to obedience, to do something with your faith. For the Who’s, just believing was not enough.

Persecution is waiting for those who stand up to the evil around them: Horton is finally being caged, roped and flogged, defending his speck world and the little people. The clover is taken from him to be destroyed. Horton sadly mutters, “You’re making a mistake.” – I see Christ on Good Friday, the enemy believing that he had won the victory.

The only Son of God made the difference in the salvation of the world: The voices of the Who’s finally break through: “You did it Mayor!” Then the mayor says to his only son, “Well done, son.” The son made the difference, adding his efforts to all the Who’s voices. The son responds that his father is one of the greats!

Belief and faith in God have a reward, we don’t go through this life alone: Horton says, “I’d like to thank the mayor of Whoville for believing in me from the beginning.” Then the mayor’s son says, “What will we do without you Horton?” Horton relies, “Don’t worry, I’ll always be around.” – for me this reminds me of the great commission, that Jesus is with us always.

There you have it, quotes and events from the movie with theological and social commentary.

[print_link] [email_link]

Are You Listening to God Firsthand?

Posted on by

Can you identify with this situation? Let’s listen in on a brief conversation between Bob and Bill during lunch last Tuesday: 

 

  • Bob: I just don’t get it. I listen to the same sermon you do each week but I don’t seem to be growing.
  • Bill: If you only had a weekly, 30-minute conversation with your wife, you wouldn’t expect to be very intimate with her, would you? Are you in the habit of listening to God outside of Sunday morning? If you eat only once a week, it’s little wonder that you’re starving! 

 

ARE YOU REALLY LISTENING?

It’s easy to punch the clock on Sunday mornings in a comfortable pew while listening to the preacher speak for God. After all, he’s been in the Word all week, right? And if he’s “on” he’ll have a passionate message with a joke and a reference to football somewhere in there. But is this the sum total of what it means to hear God speak?

 

In Exodus 20:18-19, Moses had just come down from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments. It’s like he told the Israelites, “God has been speaking to me, and now He wants to speak to you. C’mon, I know where to find Him.” But the Israelites wanted no part of it. They told Moses: “You speak to us, and we will listen, but don’t let God speak to us, or we will die” (Exodus 20:19).

 

WILL YOU PAY THE PRICE?

I wonder if this is the sentiment of too many American church-going men today, who say, “Study hard, preacher, and make my one hour on Sunday interesting. But don’t expect me to pray or get into the Bible during the week because I’m afraid if I really hear God speak, it will cost me my self-centered life.”

 

You know it’s true. It’s pretty tough to continually hear God’s Word and remain happily unchanged. God wants to speak to this generation of men and He wants to change us through what He says in His Word. So my challenge is to listen up because God is speaking!

 

BOTTOM LINE

Make sure you’re allowing God to speak to you personally through His Word. That will deepen your relationship with Him like nothing else can.

[print_link]