One Nation Far From God

I am so very thankful to live in a nation that allows for Freedom of Religion! I am glad that I do not have to fear for my life, or for the lives of the congregation I serve because of our faith in God. But as I look around I see something in our culture that grieves me deeply. I see a real nonchalant attitude towards God. There's this prevailing attitude that says I will do-whatever-the-hell-I-want and still claim to be a committed Christ follower. And believe me, I am no judge! That is not the point of this blog-entry. And I am not going to "list a bunch of sins" that we must stop doing in order to "get close to God" ... it's really not about that! Because to just "stop sinning" or to give "money" is NOT the way we get closer to God despite what some fundamental TV idiot preacher tells you. What they ought to do is sell their $20,000 Gold Rolex Watch and their $1,500 diamond studded cuff-links and give it to the poor! (sorry, I have a real issue with their false gospel message that is polluting the minds of so many people) back to topic...

I just wonder if we are deceiving ourselves ... and have become One Nation Far From God? Has our freedom to do or not do allowed us to drift from a consecrated life before God? Or have we traded the top spot, reserved for God, with whatever the heck we feel is more important, or whatever gives us more of a feeling of right-now-satisfaction ... which only leaves us feeling empty and purposeless?

These days I feel much like what the prophets of the Old Testament must have felt when they were constantly preaching to God's people to FOLLOW GOD WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART ... to no avail.(obviously, this is not true of everyone ... some people are truly hungry for more of God, and are giving themselves fully to God's plan and purpose ... and for that I am thankful)

Again, I am no judge! Trust me! I just see so many people who are hungry, hurting, broken and lonely in our nation ... and looking for fulfillment in everything other than a meaningful relationship with God. Sports become our God, our kids become our God, our spouse becomes our God, our job becomes our God, fun becomes our God, busyness has become our God ... and the one true God of the universe gets lost in our crowded lives... of course only until our lives hit some turbulence then we turn to God for His help... we are all guilty.

Q: So, Timmy where does a meaningful relationship with God begin?

A: I know that being in church doesn't mean you are any closer to God then shaving your head and walking around wearing an orange toga does... but it's a start (going to church that is, not wearing an orange toga - lol!). Like I have said to many young singles, "your odds for finding a nice Christian boy/girl go up looking in a church rather than a nightclub!" Nothing wrong with going to nightclubs (I go with my wife on occasion, but I go to church more often)... if I was looking for a life-long mate with a moral compass ... I wouldn't be looking in a nightclub ... now once I found one we may go to a nightclub and dance till the cows go home (not sure what that means ... but it sounded good to say), but I would start by looking in a church first!

The purpose of this blog entry is to do nothing else but stir your heart and get you to turn your affections back to God, so that we as a nation can truly be ONE Nation Under God... we the people make up a nation ... let's get ourselves UNDER GOD first!

God help us all to to draw near to you!

Breathe

Some days we need to just STOP whatever we are doing and go outside and just BREATH!

Nice slow breathe in through the nose and slowly release out through the mouth!

Have a great day!

The "Born Gay" Question

I get asked almost weekly what I think about Homosexuality. I am not sure if it's because I delivered a sermon a couple years back called "God Loves Gays" or just the fact that I am a religious figure (pastor) and people want to know what my perspective is ... either way I want to address just the most common question I am asked;

Q: Is Homosexuality a choice? Nature vs. Nurture.

Great question and that is the question I will address here ... not all the other issues that surround this subject ... so please DO NOT judge me for what I DO NOT say ... judge me on what I DO SAY! That would be the mature thing to do!

I do know this; I personally was born with an attraction to women. No one had to "nurture" me to find women attractive. And not having a constant father figure in my life till I was 7 years old didn't change or effect that attraction.

I have had people (I would say ignorant people, not to be mean, and not to say they are stupid, but to say they are not well informed on the subject of sexual orientation ... so they would do well to leave their thoughts to themselves) that say "they (gays) just need to make the choice to not be gay." Okay, that would be like someone telling me, "Timmy you need to just make the choice to not be heterosexual." I can't choose to NOT be attracted to women, that's ridiculous! I didn't ask to be attracted to women, no one had to coach me, or show me pictures or pray for me to be attracted to women ... it just came to me "naturally." It was my "nature" and it is considered "natural" in society and in scripture for a man to be attracted to a women, and a women to be attracted to a man. Herein lies the rub, or the issue... or the problem.

I have interviewed many homosexuals, my roommate in college was gay, I have several good friends who are gay ... and because of the circles I run in, each of the gay people I know are Christians.

Side note: If you think you can not be a Christian and be gay, you are just a fry short of a Happy Meal. Lest you forget, "we are all sinners ... we all fall short of God's glorious standard." Not a one of us "Christians" are living a normal 100% consecrated God-centered-life! Let's just be honest, shall we.

All the people I know who are gay did not chose to be gay. As a matter of fact, most of my friends who are gay said they would never have chosen this life! And a couple of them said they have prayed, and prayed, and prayed that God would make them attracted to the opposite sex... to no avail. Why won't God give them what they ask for? I wrestle with this for many of my close gay friends.

I hurt for those who are gay! It's a rough road, full of rejection and heartache and even loneliness for many.

For just a minute join me in a thought: Let's say for example sake that what was normal, or "what God intended" for the human race was for a man to be with another man, and a women to be with another women. Okay, work with me here ... this is the way God set it up. So, you are born with an attraction toward the opposite sex, but you are looked at like a freak, or a hetero, or whatever ... you were teased, made fun of, etc. (in all my interviews this run true for most all) ... and you were especially rejected by the religious community ... a sinner, the worst of them all. The church that you attended asks you to leave ... because you just aren't normal. Your friends (who are all jacked up too) reject you because of your feelings. Basically, your life sucks! And the worst treatment is coming from the "so called" Christians... and they say... "hey, just don't have those feelings!" So you go on living a lie, hiding, which drives you further into a lifestyle that you haven't had an opportunity to journey through with anyone to help you make sense of it all.

Okay, so; Nature or Nurture? I think both! And it's just not that simple. People who are born Heterosexual of course can think it's simple ... because they were BORN heterosexual... hello! Life is simple ... most everyone is like you! From what I have learned from the Homosexual community - it can be complicated!

I have met some gays who were abused, and therefor felt forced into a gay lifestyle (nurture) and others who knew they were gay from the age of 5 (nature)... and the "nurture" in the home was normal, mom and dad still married, Christian home, etc. etc.

Now, I will say this (if you are gay, PLEASE do not take offense to this ... I am just speaking my thoughts here) we all have choices to make with what we are given in life. It's not what we are born with that matters, it's what we do with what we are born with that matters. You must decide.

I have a good friend who is gay, knew he was gay from age 7, and he has chosen to live a life of celibacy. He tried to marry a women, but just couldn't go through with it because he didn't feel it was fair for him to be more attracted to men and he felt that his girlfriend deserved more than that ... so he broke it off for the sake of her heart.

Again, for those of you who think you can not be "born gay"; let me just help you think correctly here for a second ... I see this to be very possible, because you can be born physically different sexually ... what I mean is - you can be born with both male and female genitalia ... so why couldn't you be born emotionally or chemically or genetically male in a female body? Make sense?

Again, just my thoughts ... and people ask me, "are you gay affirming?" Nope! I am "People affirming ... gay or straight, rich or poor, fat or skinny, healthy or sick ... I love people... and you should to (if you are a Christian!)

John 13: 34-35 “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Now, you may have a different opinion than me, and I am totally fine with that. As I always say, UNITY not CONFORMITY. We can differ, and still be in fellowship. But if you reply to this post with anything HATEFUL or MEAN I will delete it and do a blog about you! LOL!

Is Smoking a Sin?

I was asked the other day; "is smoking a sin?"

A: No! I have yet to find a scripture that says, "Thou shalt not smoke Marlboro, or any other cigarette, thus saith me (the Lord)"

Now I am sure there are people out there who will say, "the bible does says that our bodies are the temple of the holy spirit and ... ya da ya da..." And yes you are correct! And I agree with what that verse says! The question is; are we really obedient to it? But the question was - is smoking a SIN? And if you are going to say yes on the basis of the harm smoking inflicts on the health of "your temple", then NOT exercising is a SIN, Coffee is a SIN, Ding Dongs are for sure a HUGE SIN! NO more Krispy Kreme for you! Oh, "but that is different Timmy!" No it is not!

We as Christians are often accused of being hypocrites ... and you know what, we are ... and for this very reason. We say stupid stuff like, "if you want to be a Christian you must first stop smoking ... because it is a sin to smoke."

Now, maybe you are wondering ... "Timmy do you smoke?" Nope, remember I am a health nut ... so I tend to stay away from anything and everything that is bad for me. (at least I try to) Though I do have the occasional cigar with my buddies (but you do not inhale cigar smoke ... at least I don't ... I am not that tough!)

My only issue with smoking is the harm it is to your health ... if you are a grandparent, father, mother, friend, child ... why would you do something that is definitely going to shorten your life, or at least it will affect the quality of your life? But that's just me! I want to not only live a long time, but I want to be ALIVE while I am living.

Disclaimer: Of course this blog entry is not in anyway condoning smoking! I am totally against smoking. But it's not a sin, it won't send you to hell ... you'll just smell like you've been there! Ha! (sorry, couldn't resist! Old church joke!)

God is Nearer Than You Might Think

I am reminded that, like this famous picture about painted on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel by Michelangelo of God and Adam reaching out toward one another, God is nearer than you might think.

My first thought goes back to the Old Testament stories of the children of Israel and how that even when they had forgotten God - He was there, waiting for them to return to Him.

How about you, have you been too busy for God lately? Does God seem far away? Do your prayers seem to hit the ceiling then fall to the ground? I am here to be God's voice to your heart by saying, "The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

Challenge: Look for God in your life ... in the beauty of the trees, in the glimmer of a baby's eye, in the loving touch of a spouse, in the kind word from a friend, in the encouragement from your pastor, in the laugh of a child ... God is there! See Him?

Suicide

I received a message on facebook from someone asking me; Will a Christian (in this question she qualified the "Christian" as someone who loved God, believed in Jesus, went to church, etc) who commits suicide go to heaven?"

Answer: Absolutely YES!

Romans 8:38-39 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the LOVE OF GOD that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I am sure there are some people who will disagree ... just FYI, they are wrong! LOL! I am actually being funny ... I am always open for people to disagree.

Why I answered YES. Simple really. It's logical. Suicide isn't the unpardonable sin, is it? No it's not. So, to say that a person who commits suicide wouldn't go to heaven is saying that the sin of suicide is greater then the love that God showed us in sending His son to die on the cross for our sin. Suicide is not greater than Christ's love is it? No, it's not!

John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

Plus, if you say that committing suicide keeps you from going to heaven then you must also say that saying a lie, or cheating or stealing right before you die also means you don't go to heaven ... because you didn't have time to "repent."

How I understand God's salvation plan is that it's not sins (plural) that keep us from going to heaven, it's the sin (singular) of rejecting Jesus.

I believe that once a person makes a decision to follow Christ, or confesses Christ as savior, or prayers the sinners prayer, or enters into a relationship with Christ, or decides to follow God, or gets born again, or gets saved (there are so many ways to do this as you will see in a short exchange Jesus as with a thief)... they are good to go "their salvation is secure!"! And even with that there are things I wonder about; for example - the thief at Jesus side said "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:42-44) That seems a lot easier then we've made it out to be these days.

The thief didn't walk an isle, raise his hand, confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, and he defiantly didn't have time to run down to the Jordan River to be baptized ... and Jesus said in essence, "Your good to go!"

Bottom line: If someone you know has committed suicide and they had a relationship with Christ (a Christian) you can be at rest at knowing they are in Heaven with Jesus right now.

A Message

All of our lives, whether you know it or not, are communicating a message ... or we could say that we are preaching or proclaiming a message, if you will, with how we live! So, here is my question; What message is your life communicating? A message of "hope?" A message of "who cares about God?", or "My life is more important than God?", or "I love anything and everything more than God?", etc.

Just like Jonah painted here in the Sistine Chapel (pictured above) he was called by God to preach the message of message of Repentance to the people of Nineveh. Which really was a message of God's Grace and Love to save the people from the wrath of their sins. Their sin was going to destroy them (that is what sin does) so God in His infinite love and mercy sent Jonah to preach to them. But Jonah ran from that calling. Are you running from God's calling today?

If so, you are in for a rough ride ... I recommend you turn around today!

How You Treat Your *Waitress...

...Says A Lot About What Kind of Person You Are!

*Maybe a more appropriate name would be Restaurant Server (waiter or waitress).

My Point:
Jana and I were in Red Robin today with Jana's Dad, his wife Lorena and our two kids. There was a table behind us that looked to be a father, mother and 3 kids eating there as well. (I people watch and often ease drop ... so I heard the whole thing) when the waitress brought their food to them they rudely told their waitress some "things" were not to their liking, like their cheese sticks, which we supposed to be an appetizer, came out with the meal, their Ketchup bottle was empty and something else silly wasn't up to their standard. There was a part of me that wanted to empty the bottle of Ketchup on their head ... but then I realized that wouldn't be right either. LOL! Seriously, so your Cheese Sticks came out a few minutes late ... is it that that big of a deal really? I mean come on ... in light of world hunger, child prostitution, Aids, and poverty ... is it something to fuss over, and act like a buffoon? If so, you've got issues!

Now, first of all I don't have a problem with asking for things to be done right or even expecting things to be right ... like cooking it to your specifications, or maybe even reporting to the manager that things were "not satisfactory." Because this can help them do better in the future! And I can even understand being frustrated that things weren't how you ordered them... I get all that!

But what I do have a problem with is when people are rude, and just down right mean or snooty to a waitress/waiter. The parents were terrible examples to their children on how to treat people in this situation. I personally think people who are mean to waitresses/waiters have issues of pride and stupidity (it's a spirit of superiority that stinks and is nothing like Jesus whatsoever!)

Listen, if you are a Christian (or call yourself one) then be nice to people, especially those who serve you ... don't be a jerk! And if you can't control yourself, then don't go out to eat ... ever!

What is the Wise Thing to DO?

Proverbs 28:26 “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered.”

I think this is a great question to ask ourselves when we have a choice to make. It may even be the best question to ask.

So many times we don't want to give the answer to that question because we knwo the answer and we do not want to do "that" which is the "wise" thing. Come on, let's be honest, often times we know just what we SHOULD do, but we do what we WANT to do instead. Then when it's bits us in the tush we get mad! Why are we mad? Because we KNEW IT! And did it anyway.

Okay, maybe its just me ... anyone else out there guilty? LOL!

Okay, so here is the challenge: When you are making a decision, ask yourself; What is the WISE (or right) thing for me to do? Then have the guts to DO THAT!

More on this later!

How Far is Too Far

I am asked, "how far is too far" as it relates to sexual intimacy between singles almost weekly. So I figured I might as well share my response here.

This is not an easy question to address ... and definitely not an easy ANSWER to live. I wish I could say that I never went too far in my dating days, but unfortunately I did ... and I do regret it. (many times pastors won't tell you that ... they just say "don't do it ... wait til you are married... which are all good things to say I suppose, but a touch hypocritical don't ya think when they do not add, "I couldn't or didn't save myself for marriage." Anyway ... a personal frustration for me.)

I too believe that saving yourself for your ONE TRUE love ... your wife/husband.

But let me answer the question; How far is too far? with a question.

How far would you want your future wife/husband to go with whoever they are currently dating? I know, I know, that question bits! And it should!

Do you want your future husband/wife to have gone to 4th base with every person he/she dated? How far would you want them to go?

Then I suggest you follow the golden rule: do unto others what you would have them do unto you!

Have fun, just don't go too far!