I don’t mean, Does God inflict pain on anyone?  I mean, Does God feel pain?  My Sunday school class was discussing it the other day, and the teacher commented that when we sin as believers, it hurts God.  It got me to thinking.  The Biblical writers are free to project onto the Almighty human characteristics, like love, anger, hurt, and compassion.  They always leave out fear.  But, seriously, who or what could God be afraid of?

Biblical scholars, preachers, teachers and lay leaders all say that God can feel these emotions because we are made in His image.  But don’t we feel those things simply because we’re human?  I can see God loving us, even having compassion.  But can He really be hurt?  If you are hurt, it is usually because someone has exercised unwanted control over you, by word or deed.  Who could exercise such control over God?

And what about God’s wrath, or anger?  Is it a controlled anger?  Is He frustrated because He gave us freewill?  Can He get mad, since He is the one who has created us and knows ahead of time what we are going to do?

Jesus wept.  (John 11:35)  The shortest verse in the Bible.  Why did He weep? Was it His human side that identified with how death affects humans?  And what about His anguish in the garden before His own death?  Do we identify with Father and Son better if they display human characteristics?

I want a God who will never have the opportunity to “lose it” because of anger or grief.  He is my Rock and my Fortress.  Rocks and fortresses don’t cry.

How much do we really know about God?

Are you okay with the name your parents gave you?  Did they put a lot of thought into it?  My dad and I have the same first names, so my mom called me by my middle name in order that we may know who she’s calling for. Some people hate their names, and others take steps to legally change it.

Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter, added the “w” in his name in order to disassociate himself with his great great grandfather, who was a judge in the Salem witch trials.  What would it take for you to change your name?

The Scottish judge, Lord Jeffrey, said, “A good name, like good will, is got by many actions and lost by one.”  While your name may be quickly forgotten after death, it would seem that you would want it to be respected in this life. Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is more desirable than great riches.”  Would you rather have the riches?

Does God care about your name?  Or is He more likely concerned with what you have made of your name? It seems that promoting your name by your achievements would have some pride in it.  Is it possible that, when people see us, God wants them to associate us with the name of Jesus?

Maybe you should Google your name and see what others think about you, if they think about you at all. Either way, God loves you, and your name is written in His Book of Life.  Isn’t it?

There was a fellow being interviewed by Fox News today.  He is the national security advisor for the Christian Action Network.  Who are they, and what do they do?  Well, a former editor for Jerry Falwell’s “Moral Majority Report” started the CAN group.  His name is Martin Mawyer, and he said that the organization was “created to protect America’s religious and moral heritage.”

Does our religious heritage need preserving?  And how do you protect it?  I guess you could remind everyone over and over that we started out as a “Christian” nation, but there will always be those who will challenge that fact, because most of our forefathers believed substantially different things from what our Christian churches teach today.

And why do Christians need a national security advisor?  Don’t we have God? Won’t He protect us?  Or does He only help those who help themselves?  What about helping the helpless?

This group also promotes CPA’s.  No, not certified public accountants. Christian Political Activists. What do they do?  From what I’ve read their goal is to take over America for God.  That is, they want to put fundamentalist Christians in all levels of the government, so that all laws can be in complete alignment with God’s Word — the Bible.  I personally don’t see how you can get the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government to agree on “Christian” laws.  Is it doable?

Neither Jesus (in the gospels) nor his followers (in the letters) seemed to advocate Christian political activism.  Why should we?  How about our daily walk with Christ?  How we relate to family and friends. How we relate to enemies.  Do we really need to pour our money and time into forcefully wrenching our government from the sinners?

Maybe we should pray about it.  What’s that?  We already did?  I wonder if God just isn’t into this movement.  Or maybe we didn’t get the answer we were looking for.  So it’s up to us.  Or is it?

He sees you when you’re sleeping; he knows when you’re awake.  He knows when you’ve been bad or good.

Wait a minute, who are we talking about here?  Santa or Jesus?  They both seem to know all about you, no matter your age.  However, while Santa is known to deliver smiles, he also has a reputation of being somewhat drunk on a street corner, less than reliable to fulfill all wishes of the lap-sitters, and has been caught kissing Mommy underneath the mistletoe.

Jesus, on the other hand, can deliver lasting smiles, but is also expected to bring introspection, which can turn that smile upside down.  Go to any church Advent service, and you will see folks welcoming Him back each year — just like Santa.  Shouldn’t Jesus be here every day?  How many people just welcome Him once a year?

Millions of kids get lots of toys each year, but the baby in the manger probably didn’t even get a rattle. And it’s hard to play with gold, frankincense and myrrh.  What He did get, though, is the adoration of many generations to come.  But does our adoration quickly fade when the holiday hoopla is over?

God’s message of peace and love and righteousness could have been delivered by anyone.  But the correct and true message needed to come by way of his only Son.  He’s truly the gift that keeps on giving.

Merry Christmas

‘Tis the season to be giving — and receiving.  It’s also the time of year that the charity seekers constantly have their hands out.  Salvation Army bell ringers, Toys for Tots, the angel tree at church, along with several special Christmas offerings.  This activity particularly peaks at the holiday season.  Why?

You could say that they saved their campaigns for this time, rather than to hit us up for money all year long, but I don’t think so.  They play on the spirit of giving at Christmas.  How can you buy those wonderful presents and ignore the downtrodden who have nothing for Christmas?

So what happens when Christmas is over?  Aren’t the downtrodden still trodden down?  Is there a way that we can focus not on the Christmas band-aid, but on the progressive healing?  Or can our apathy only be worn down in December?

Jesus told his followers, “Freely you have received, freely give.”  Then he instructs them not to take any money with them.  Is it because he wants them to give of themselves?  Isn’t it easier to open the wallet than to open the heart?

Children will tear open boxes on Christmas morning, looking for the many things that they begged for.  Quite a few will be tired of the toys by the end of the day. God gave his best gift in Jesus.  How many of us will lose his message as we struggle on through life?

Maybe this year we should strive to be humble givers and gracious receivers, because we, ourselves, are gifts that don’t need to be wrapped.

Born in a manger (feed trough).  Born to a family that lived below poverty level in those days.  How well could you live on a carpenter’s wages?  So, why all of this attention to such a lowly birth?  The exceptionally bright star, that appeared to be moving, certainly would warrant a Fox News Alert.

Since he came from God, I wonder what the baby’s name was before Mary and Joseph called him Jesus. His earthly name meant “the LORD saves.”

Who came to see him?  We know for sure that some shepherds came because angels appeared to them. The only other visitors cited in the Bible are the magi.  They were either ancient priests with magical powers, or they were eastern astrologers.  With deference to most nativity sets, the shepherds seem to be the only ones who showed up at the birthing place.  The wise men, with all of their learning, couldn’t even plan their trip so that they could make it in time.  They were almost two years off on their arrival. How wise is that?

Thirty years later he would be sought by folks in all levels of society, from Roman commanders to tax collectors, with tons of ordinary people in between.  He was even visited by Nicodemus, a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court.

Aren’t wise people, along with rich people, just self-made individuals who seek their own ends?  What kind of people need Jesus?  Do you have to be down-and-out to bring you to your knees before Him?  Is it difficult for a mature adult to bow before a baby at Christmas?

Francis Bacon said, “A prudent question is one-half of wisdom.”

I like bacon.

It’s here again.  Another year of singing, bustling, rushing, wrapping, cooking, baking, spending and celebrating.  Will you be glad when it’s over?

There’s the commercial Christmas, and there’s the spiritual Christmas.  These days, it’s difficult to separate the two in some churches.  Each year the season becomes a big production, in or out of church.  At a time when we are recognizing the arrival of the Prince of Peace, we appear anything but peaceful.  Is this what Jesus wanted?  Is God okay with how it turned out?

How do you reconcile Christ with today’s Christmas?  Do you tell your kids that there’s no Santa Clause, because it doesn’t fit in with your doctrine?  Our church has a miniature nativity set that has Santa kneeling before the manger. Do you spend too much money and buy presents for people that you’re not sure that you care about, only to make sure they don’t think that you’re too cheap?  I don’t think the Wise Men had that problem.

Do you spend too much money on kids who play with the toys for 3 minutes tops, then move on to TV or an old toy?  Is your Christmas table filled with small talk with friends or relatives that you can’t be honest with at other times?

Where’s the Christmas peace and joy?  Where’s the love of Christ when you get angry with the store clerk, or with the guy who just cut you off in traffic, or when no one appreciates all of the work you put into this holiday season?

Does it bother you when you’re told that the baby Jesus actually came to die for your sins?  Are you able to keep the frivolity separate from the Christian message of Christmas?

I love Christmas.  No humbug here.  But maybe we should take a serious look at how we address it.  Maybe we should ask Jesus what He thinks.  It’s his birthday.

I remember a quip from an old comedy team routine, The Smothers Brothers, where Tom Smothers asks his brother Dick, “Why does Mom always like you best?”  Dick replies, “Because I’m an only child.”

If Jesus is God’s “only begotten,” does that make him an only child?  I was an only child (still am), and I have to admit that I see pros and cons about having brothers/sisters or getting all of the attention yourself.

Coming from a typical family unit (James, Clara and little Stevie), it’s hard to picture Jesus in the same role. Sure, he had an earthly mom, Mary, and even an earthly dad, Joseph (old enough to be his grandpa, I’m told), but the dad he always talked about was God.  And a lot of people say he himself was God.  Not only was Jesus God, but the Holy Ghost/Spirit is supposed to be God too.  Three God’s in one?

It has been said that there are not three God’s, but God manifested (displayed) in three forms.  They call it the Trinity.  But that word trinity isn’t in the Bible.  A fellow named Tertullian came up with it around 200 AD. He was the son of a Roman centurion (military officer).  Tertullian was also a lawyer and ordained priest. People like that are always coming up with new words.

But answer me this.  Why did Jesus pray to God, talk to God, talk about God and worship God?  Why did he call him Father?  If he was really God himself, doesn’t that make him a little schizophrenic?  Or was he just trying to fool us?  Sure, he said in John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.”  But couldn’t that just mean that they were like-minded, that Jesus is simply in the perfect will of God?

Still trying to sort this one out.

A lot of people lay claim to the fact that they are saved; that is, they are born-again believers in Jesus Christ.  What are they saved from?  ”The penalty of sin” would be the usual answer.  What’s the penalty? Death.  But we all die.  Yes, but we need to be saved from eternal death in Hell.

How do we get saved?  By being born again.  How are we born again?  By believing that Jesus died to save us from our sins.  And on it goes.

Jesus died to save me from me.  You see, I love myself too much.  You might not know it if you meet me.  But I’m sure you can think of someone who appears to love themselves too much.  They’re not the dangerous ones; they wear it on their sleeves, so to speak.  No, it’s those of us who seem to lead a pious life, but, in fact, are as fickle as a mood ring — we are the ones who bring confusion to those who really know us.

I love things that God doesn’t love, like always being right, comparing my Christian walk to others who don’t seem to quite measure up or priding myself in my accomplishments and possessions, while not always admitting to it (or realizing that it is so).  God doesn’t want these things for me.  Neither does Jesus, who was, and is, my mentor.  I’m called to recognize things that are not worth loving.

Jesus died because he knew it was in God’s plan, the culmination of his perfect justice.  God loved me so much that he was willing when the Son said, “Let me go talk to them Father, that they might truly know you.” (I know.  It’s not in the Bible, but it could happen.)

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How do I know that Jesus even existed?  I don’t.  Some history books will acknowledge him, probably in response to the large following that had claimed his name as their own.  Even the Jewish historian Josephus referred to him as a “wise man … a doer of wonderful works.”

But the overwhelming evidence of Jesus is to be found in the eyewitness accounts recorded in the New Testament gospels of the Christian Bible.  Granted, the first gospel was actually penned some thirty years after the death of Christ, but the followers of Jesus grew so phenomenally in such a short period that it would be difficult to deny that someone had quite a significant influence in the start of what is now called Christianity.

Still, the four gospels don’t necessarily line up with each other, and the epistles (letters) develop themes and doctrines that aren’t easily corroborated by the words of Christ.  And early church fathers, followed by organized church leaders, have put a different spin on things for hundreds of years.  So why do I believe?

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