Celebrities Going To Heaven?

I'm not at heaven's gates, but I have read the gospels...

For some reason, modern culture likes to assume that if someone was rich and famous, and provided them with laughs, enjoyment, or entertainment, that that means that when they die they are going to heaven.

I don't know any of these people. I don't know their hearts, or exactly where they stand with God. I do know that the things I just listed are absolute rubbish to God.

You can't get into heaven because you entertained people. You can't get into heaven by being rich and famous. Getting into heaven has to do with having a relationship with God. If Jesus's parables are to be believed, if you suffered a lot on Earth that means if you weren't rotten to the core there's a good chance there's a place for you in heaven. Jesus didn't mince words, particularly when he told the parable of Lazarus and the rich man:

 
Luke 16:19-31, New International Version

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’

30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

I think... if I were to understand this correctly, being wealthy on Earth means you have an added responsibility to care for people around you, and to live by faith for God and not just preserving your financial success on Earth.  Based on a cursory reading of the gospels, I would say that Jesus isn't the hugest fan of people who are wealthy on Earth but not wealthy towards God.  If you are wealthy towards God, then you will tend to see your earthly treasures as a way to acquire heavenly treasure.  God cares A LOT about how we see our money and possessions.  So... read the gospels.  The above passage isn't the only one- Jesus is very unambiguous about his feelings about people who are wealthy on earth but haven't really done any due diligence about being right with God.  God cares more about what you have left over than what you give, so next time you give a big gift, remember- it's how big a gift it was TO YOU that matters more than how big it seems to the world.

I say all this as a warning.  Be wary of being attached to your earthly possessions.  It's fine to have them, but at some point God may demand something of you, and hopefully you'll be up to the task to give God what he asks.  Your possessions aren't really "yours;" in fact we're all really stewards of what is in our lives- hopefully we'll be found to be good at taking care of what God handed to us as well as using what God gave us for his glory.  As Jesus said:  "Beware of all forms of greed...."

Judgment About Killing or Avenging the Death of a Loved One

You can learn a lot about how God sees things by reading the Old Testament, in this case Numbers 35 in particular.

For example, you learn that if someone kills one of your loved ones (even by accident!) the Old Testament law basically states that you have the right to kill the person who killed your loved one.

Now I don't think, with the revolution that Jesus brought about loving one's enemies that this is still in effect, plus it is against the laws of this world.  I don't think people should go around avenging the deaths of loved ones by killing the perpetrator- particularly when we have a perfectly good legal system for dealing with this.  

HOWEVER, what this DOES teach is that God sees things VERY differently, in some ways than you or I.  We assume that killing is killing, and that each death should be basically considered equally.  Now truth be told, I think juries tend to look at someone avenging the death of a loved one differently than the original murder, but it should be clear from Numbers 35 that God himself sees it much differently.  In the Old Testament, God doesn't even see the avenger as a murderer.  I think we should be careful how we look at people who kill people who have killed the first person's loved one.  That is different to an extreme degree.  I don't know what to say.  I was raised that basically to kill anyone, even if the state did it to a murderer in the form of the death penalty, is wrong, and should be avoided.  Now I'm not so sure.  Honestly I thought the death penalty should be reserved for extreme cases, such as serial murderers- now I'm not so sure.  Also, this changes how we look at people who attack people who are committing crimes against them.  It does somewhat justify some of the self-defense laws on the books, as far as how God sees them.  If you really are defending yourself, God sees that much differently than how he sees the perpetrator.

I realize that some people may not find this interesting.  Maybe it's obvious to everyone else, at least everyone else that wasn't raised Mennonite.  To me though, this was revelatory.  I don't read scriptures very often that have a profound impact on how I see things.  This scripture did, however.  I'll never look at killing people the same again.  If the Bible teaches in the Old Testament that a man has the right to kill someone who killed a loved one, how much more should we be cautious over judging a prechristian over the killing of someone who killed their loved one?  Food for thought.

Can Someone Who is LDS Be... Saved?

I just watched this video here, and Dallas basically says that he knows... Mormons that he considers to be... saved.  I want to talk about this subject at length.

After watching this video, I can't help but think that Dallas doesn't really understand the issues at hand.  The problem isn't the idea that someone in some people group couldn't be saved- I mean sure, theoretically speaking a Buddhist or a Hindu could theoretically come to Christ and somehow stay Buddhist or Hindu, but from the outside looking in that seems unlikely.  The thing is, Mormon theology is about humans earning their way to Heaven by various acts they do on earth, including tithing to the Mormon Church, having a Temple marriage, amongst other things.  They (in general) believe that Jesus's sacrifice is not enough, and that salvation requires good deeds.  The problem with this is that it means our salvation is more on us than on Jesus, and that we can look at our growing faith with pride and say in our hearts "I did that.  I earned my way to Heaven."

This is not at all what the Christian theology teaches.  Sure, we DISPLAY our faith by our works, HOWEVER we do not DEFINE our faith by our works.  These are two different things.  Displaying our faith is where the outflowing of our lives demonstrate the goodness of God.  It's the natural consequence of being loved by God.  If a feral dog comes into a loving environment, usually with time, exercise, discipline and affection, such a dog becomes friendly and beloved by the family as a good dog.  The dog doesn't do good works to earn the good graces of his master, it's simply a byproduct of being loved.  In the same way, a new Christian is changed from the inside out by the love of the master, and in time loves themselves, because they are overflowing with love.  They aren't worried about whether their good deeds are good enough to get into some level of heaven (yes, Mormons believe in multiple levels of heaven- at least, those totally familiar with all the Mormon writings that have been written do), they know their good deeds aren't worth a hill of beans compared to the knowledge of salvation that comes through Jesus and Jesus alone.

Is what Dallas said in the video above true from a technical perspective?  I suppose.  If someone in Mormonism was not overly familiar with the teachings of Mormonism over the last 150-200 years comes to believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and that no man comes to the Father except through me... okay.  If someone stays in the Mormon church to try to get people out of Mormonism, as sort of a spy working against the system- I say that's dangerous work (not only would I imagine LDS elders would take this very seriously if such a person was found out, I think spending that much time with Mormons in general probably wouldn't be especially good for one's spiritual health), but sure... if one were successful without going astray, that would be admirable work.  However, as a general rule, following Mormon theology at its core is unhealthy and leads to self centered faith rather than a Jesus-centered faith.  Mormon theology is antithetical to Christian thought, because it promotes pride, not humility.  It promotes spiritual pride, in fact.  CS Lewis thought that spiritual pride was one of the worst vices a person could have (read The Screwtape Letters if you don't believe me).  The spiritual pride of thinking you are superior to the people you know because your works help you earn your way to Heaven is disgusting to me.

To give you an idea of how much Jesus hates spiritual pride, let's look at the parable of the pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14, NIV):

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

End of Quote

Jesus does not approve of having a self-centered faith.  Humility is one of the main hallmarks of the Christian faith.  Could there be Mormons that are saved?  Sure.  Are there people in Evangelical churches that aren't saved?  I believe so.  HOWEVER, LDS theology is not compatible with Christianity.  If you want to serve God wholeheartedly, you need to recognize that LDS theology is, at it's core, teaching a different gospel than what Jesus and also Paul taught, and I believe, if you buy into the thinking that the LDS church is truly based on, you are playing with serious fire.  God will not tolerate spiritual pride in anyone, regardless of what faith a person follows.  God takes this very seriously.  You should too.

School Shootings

I have a confession.  I empathize more with most if not all of the school shooters more than I empathize with the victims.

I was abused... A LOT in school.  Some of it physical abuse.  A lot of it verbal abuse.  All of it bad.

There's a part of me that wishes I had gone to school and shot up the place.  It's a part of me that I don't especially like, and not a part of me I really like to talk about, but it is a part of me.

From my perspective, schools are extremely lax in dealing with peer abuse.  They don't do shit.  Sometimes they even punish the victim for standing up for him/herself.  Schools are nasty.

There are moments when I think about what I went through that I feel true rage about what that abuse did to me.  I don't understand why no one gave a shit, why I had to go through all that essentially alone.  And I was alone for a lot of it.  I don't even know what to say about it.

I look back on sixth grade with horror.  Sixth grade was a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.  I experienced peer abuse through most of my schooling, but sixth grade is when it raged out of control.  No one stepped in to help.  I was in hell on earth, and it sucked.  If I was told I could be a trillionaire and all I had to do was relive the sixth grade without any of the wisdom I've acquired with age or any of the maturity I have now- that is, relive the sixth grade as it actually happened in the first place, I would tell the person making the offer to go fuck themselves.  No amount of money would make it worth it.

I realize this isn't the most uplifting post.  I realize that there have been people killed in school shootings who absolutely didn't have it coming, and some school shootings that really don't make sense.  I'm not saying that what happens in school shootings is justice, for I think many times school shooters don't get the worst offenders and instead shoot people largely indiscriminately, and honestly there are no winners in school shootings.  Oftentimes the shooter(s) kill themselves, leaving a bloody wake behind them.  But I understand where that rage comes from, and I wish more could be done to deal with all the abuse that happens in schools.

As I'm trying to deal with all the damage that happened to me at the hands of my peers, I'm at a serious loss as to how to deal with it.  Honestly, I've experienced as much horror in many ways as an adult as I did as a kid.  My adulthood honestly, in many ways, hasn't been better.  The abuse I've experienced as an adult was often more subtle, but in many ways just as bad and often insidious.  I don't know how to deal with my life in some ways; sometimes the anger is too much.  But my years in school were pretty bad and I wish more could be done to prevent bullying.  I wish... instead of focusing on gun control, that more could be done to reduce the amount of peer abuse that happens in schools.  You reduce that, and you solve the real problem and even without stricter gun control laws you'll see a reduction in school shootings.  Because it's the rage that drives the shootings.  That is the real problem.

Thirsty For Grace

 I'm rereading the gospels right now...

I'm struck by how hard a man Jesus was.

It's interesting to me that people take the teachings of Paul and run with it.  I'm not saying the propitiation isn't real, but damn.  When Jesus says things like "anyone who, after deciding to follow me looks backward is not worthy of me" (paraphrased)... I mean there are SO MANY THINGS JESUS SAID THAT WERE RUTHLESS.  Jesus was a fireball of intensity.  I don't know who people think they are, reading the Bible and believing they are Heaven bound.  No one can read the gospels and say "I've made it."  No one.  Jesus just set the bar so effing high that I can't imagine anyone thinking that they were a success in Jesus's eyes.

And yet, the lowly and the downtrodden, the sinners and the tax collectors, all loved him and wanted to be around him.  Huh?

How can the guy who says "He who doesn't hate his father and mother isn't worthy of me" and "My flesh is real food and my blood real drink" attract the lowly of the world to follow him everywhere?  Who is this lunatic who says "I am the way, the truth, and the light- no one comes to the Father except through me."?

I've been a follower of Jesus for a long time.  Honestly my commitment to Christ deepened in 1997- that's when I tell people I was born again, though truthfully I was probably saved in the 6th grade and just became a disciple in '97.  And yet in this season, I'm nervous.  Jesus makes me nervous.

I don't know what to say.  I don't know how anyone can read the gospels and think "I'm going to Heaven."  The sheep from the goats?  Has anyone ever ALWAYS helped EVERYONE that has asked them for help?  I don't even know what to say to that.  There have been times when I've helped people who have asked me for help.  Then there was that time I was driving and on my way to Idaho, and this person came out of nowhere and asked me for money, and I said no.  This still haunts me.  Perhaps I was supposed to help them?  I dunno.

Jesus scares me.  If you've spent a lot of time in Paul's epistles, you might feel quite safe about your salvation.  Maybe take some time to reread the gospels with open eyes to think "What if this is how I'll be judged."?  What if Jesus does separate the sheep from the goats?  What if we'll be judged for how we viewed God and whether we took full advantage of all the talents God has given us?

I don't know how anyone can look at the gospels and not be nervous about eternity.  My only hope is that I truly believe that Jesus is merciful.  I remember what Jesus said to the thief on the cross- "Today you will be with me in paradise."  If that's the mercy for the thief on the cross, MAYBE there's room in Heaven for me.

The Greatest Temptation I Overcame

So... when I was manic/psychotic some... I think it seven or eight years ago, I took my car for a journey to California.  After a lot of driving and following directions in my head, and after having gone as far south as Los Angeles, I eventually ended up in Death Valley.

I parked my car off the side of the road.  The voice I thought was God (whether it was or not is very debatable... I honestly don't know) told me to rest.  I slept for multiple hours in my car.  I woke up and was cold, and God told me to get out of my car and walk down this highway.  This became one of the toughest temptations I ever faced.  Being 700 miles from home, with no cell phone and very little money, the temptation is to stick out a thumb and hitchhike.  But God wouldn't let me.  He told me NOT to stick out my thumb and to just keep walking.  I did stumble across a small convenience store in this very small village along the road I was on, and I believe I went in, and using the little amount of funds I had left I bought something to eat or drink, I don't remember what.  Then I kept walking.  In total I walked five miles without sticking out my thumb even one time.

If ever I was at risk, it was on this trip in that situation.  Had I stuck out my thumb, WHO KNOWS how long it would have taken to get home.  I think all manner of evil could have befallen me had I gotten a ride.  And I probably never would have seen my car again.  It would have been terrible.  Because of my obedience, a policeman stopped behind me and picked me up, giving me a ride to a hospital for care.  He contacted my parents, and got them to come down to help me.  Of the possible outcomes for this trip, it could have been worse.  But I am grateful that I was obedient, regardless of what you think of the voice inside my head- had I not listened to the voice, any number of things could have happened.  I might have gotten a ride, taken somewhere else, and dropped off somewhat "closer" to home, yet arguably infinitely further from home, simply because my path home from there on would be hitching rides, and that might take a very long time.  I am grateful that I was obedient.  Thank God for having me trust him and for his deliverance.

Why It's Good For Anyone To Read Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings Books

I think these books get a bad rap among some Christians as being "demonic" because they involve magic.

If I want to... get past someone's defenses and really speak Christian truth to someone without raising any alarm bells or making it obvious that I'm teaching kingdom principles, I've got to find a way to teach the Kingdom without raising the alarm.  That's what Harry Potter and what the various Lord of the Rings books do.  JK Rowling and JR Tolkien both had living faiths in God, and their faiths are conveyed in their writings.  Christianity works best when it's NOT in your face.  

I see video footage of people burning various books and stuff... as a Christian, I can kind of see burning Ouija boards and items that actually pertain to witchcraft, but... Harry Potter?  Any Christian that wants to burn Harry Potter books hasn't actually READ Harry Potter to see what was inside.  We as believers need to be smarter than this.  I can see why someone might burn a Satanic Bible, or something else that could lead someone astray, but Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings books have the Christian faith all over it, and we've got to be better than that.

Honestly, I think... it's better if we don't get publicized when we destroy REALLY demonic stuff either.  Seriously, the world doesn't understand the danger that some of these things pose, and it just looks like we want to burn books.  I think... burning books, at the core, is risky- it may cause the kids there to have an overactive interest in the books being burned.  Why are those books being burned, they ask... so they read them.  And to be fair, there are plenty of books that I think could do real damage to a person that I think we'd be better off NOT burning, and instead invest our time trying to reach the people who love those books.  I dunno.  I think book burning is double edged.  We must be careful about what we do, or the world will become fixated on the things we detest.

I think at the core, we should focus on reaching people with God's love, more than just destroying occultic objects.  Are there objects that should be destroyed?  I can see that.  But try not to make the news while you are destroying them.  I don't think the world gets it, or helps anyone seeing you destroy stuff brings them closer to God.

Don't Envy the Wealthy and Famous!

I always thought this post went without saying.  If you are made new in Christ, you are a new creation, and you have a home in Heaven and the opportunity to amass treasure in Heaven.  Why then envy those who in all likelihood won't even go to Heaven?!?  Seriously.  They are not to be envied.  Compare and contrast these two songs:

Me Too 

This World

What it comes down to, is what do you want?  Do you want God and to live forever in Heaven?  Do you want to be rich in Heaven?  Or do you want to be rich here and not even go to Heaven?

For those who point out that Christians can be wealthy here on earth, OK, but that should never have been our focus.  We should not focus on amassing wealth in this life.  That is not why we are here.  We are here to bring glory to our maker and amass treasure in Heaven.  If you look at the rich, powerful, and famous with envy, you are playing with fire.  I tell you the truth- many times I've hated my life for as hard as it has been.  In the midst of how hard it has been and all the trials I've been through, I've never told myself "Wouldn't it be nice to be one of the rich and famous who have no treasure in Heaven and are, in all likelihood, not even going to Heaven?"  NO!  Seriously.  I've paid too steep a price for the relationship I have with God to envy people with money.  I tell you the truth, it's DANGEROUS to envy the rich and famous.  You are playing with fire.  God will not take such a violation of the 10th commandment lightly.  Remember- blood was spilled so you could go to Heaven and live eternally with God.  Why would you want to screw around with the thought of having what the rich and famous have on earth, knowing they generally have nothing in Heaven?  Remember, it is hard for someone who is rich and famous on earth to go to Heaven.  Few will make it, and the few that do may have very little treasure.  Remember that when Jesus was talking about giving, he pointed out a poor widow who gave next to nothing gave more than the rich did, because she gave all she had to live on, whereas the rich gave out of the extra money they would not miss.  Do not think that Bill Gates or Warren Buffett are giving more than you because they are giving more money- Jesus plainly taught that the one who gave the most is the one where the gift actually cost them personally.  Seriously.  Do not envy the wealthy or the famous.  They will be exposed as having little to nothing when they get to Heaven.  Set your sights on Heavenly treasure, and do not let up until you reach Heaven.

The Afterlife

In case for some reason you aren't familiar, it is basically the traditional view of.. at least Evangelical Christianity that everyone falls into one of two camps- either they are headed for Heaven or Hell.

I struggle with this delineation.  I don't think it's as simple as that.  And let me tell you why.

First of all, I had a friend named Blaine.  I say "I had" because he passed away in 2014.  Now I bring up my friend because he... he had a severe handicap.  Not just that he was wheelchair-bound, but that he lacked fine motor control over his movements.  His life, from what I could see, was at least a bit more difficult than average.  He had, in at least some respects, a hard life.

And yet my friend, who had every right to be bitter and unhappy, exuded a positive attitude.  He was a good guy, and a decent friend.

I don't believe I ever talked to him about faith.  Honestly I didn't see as much of him as I would have liked.  We weren't super close.  But I knew him well enough to respect him.  And when he died, many many people came to his funeral.  He left a large wake in his stead.

My impression of him is that he was not a Christian.  Should I then believe that he has moved on to everlasting torment?  See, this is where I disagree with the traditional view of Heaven and Hell- I don't believe my friend Blaine is living in unending torment, simply because he didn't make Jesus Lord over his life.

That does not mean I believe my friend is in Heaven.  I do believe Heaven is reserved for those that have a relationship with God.

I do think that if most of Hell is not a place of everlasting torment, that my friend could be there.  If Hell is more like how CS Lewis described it in The Great Divorce, then I would say that it might make sense for there to be no middle ground place where people who are neither fit for Heaven nor deserving of Hell, because then Hell wouldn't be that bad.  Don't get me wrong, Hell is not the most exciting place to be in The Great Divorce, it's just... kind of a dreary place, that is substantially worse if you happen to be more messed up, like Napoleon for example.  In The Great Divorce, Napoleon is miles and miles and miles away from everyone else, and is spending eternity pacing the floor up and down blaming other people for his misfortune.  

Regardless, I don't believe most people are going somewhere where the torment is that bad.  I just... don't.  There are people who definitely belong in eternal torment in my opinion, though I'm no master judge I suspect Hitler will be judged harshly.  I also suspect the average child molester will be judged for not committing suicide rather than molesting a kid- suicide is INFINITELY better than molesting a child.  Don't get me wrong- it's better to seek out treatment.  But if one is feeling propelled to molest a kid, they would be better off killing themselves.  I digress.  The thing is, I do believe some people belong in Hell.  Who exactly that is I can't say for sure, for only God knows the hearts and minds of everyone.  Most people, in my estimation, belong in neither Heaven nor Hell but a third place, like Purgatory only you never leave.  I don't believe anyone ever leaves their eternal destination, or what was the point of being tested on Earth?  Maybe God has some kind of long term goal of redeeming everyone from the places like Purgatory and Hell.  It certainly would follow my understanding of God's heart if he did.  But also there must be justice for those of us who chose God while alive, passed our tests while alive, and lived by faith.

It is interesting to me, the differences in opinion.  I have a friend who has accepted what Jesus did as salvation, but it doesn't seem to me that he has Jesus as lord over his life.  It's more like... fire insurance.  I don't believe that kind of faith is worth much.  You can't accept what Jesus did on the cross and then just decide to live however you want, like Jesus is giving you carte blanche to live however you please.  I don't believe salvation was supposed to work that way.  I think salvation was IN PART about saving us from sin, to give us power over our vices so that we can live righteous.  What's the point of being saved from your sins if you're just going to live a sinful life?  This kind of fire insurance... I don't think God has a high view of it.  Anyone who lives like this is not destined for Heaven.  You can't use God to get Heaven and not live in relationship with God, which was the whole point.  Jesus died on the cross so we could live in right relationship with God, not so we could go our own way.

I don't know what God's plan is exactly for judgment.  I just know that God is just, and that he doesn't want to spend eternity alone.  Honestly, I'm skeptical that many people will be in Heaven.  I think it's hard to get into Heaven.  I know, that flies against Christian teaching.  We teach "if you accept what Jesus did on the cross as propitiation for your sins then you are going to Heaven."  It's not that I believe that works are what get you into Heaven.  It's just... you have to have a heart that's right before God and live in relationship with God, and most people don't have a heart that's right before God and live in relationship with God.  I just think the path of righteousness is a hard path, and few take it.   I hope today you will think about how you live your life and make a decision to draw nearer to God, to put away sinful thoughts and actions, and surrender completely to your maker.  I do believe there is grace.  But you have to surrender to God to get it...

You Don't Have to Know the Truth to Drive the Spiritual Car that is Faith in God

 I was having a conversation with my friend about faith in God, and after he left I had an epiphany.

My friend is a little like a guy who goes to a place that sells cars and tells the salesman "I'd like to buy a car, but I won't be willing to drive the car unless I understand how the internal combustion engine works."

Now, can the average person understand how the internal combustion engine works? No.  And yet in spite of this, many, many people drive cars around with very little idea of how internal combustion engines work.

I can say definitively that the Christian faith WORKS.  It works, and it works well.  Basically, everyone in a twelve-step group testifies to it working- the twelve steps are basically the Christian faith with Jesus and God stripped from it.  That is not an oversimplification- the founders of AA were Christians who were trying to use their faith to help addicts.  So the Christian faith does work, and apparently your god doesn't have to be The God for it to have an effect- though having your faith be in the one true God probably does help.

I know how to make faith work for someone.  You just have to be willing to fast and pray.  God will do the rest.  That is how to insert the key into the "spiritual car" and turn the engine over.  If you're patient the car will eventually start, and God will show up.  God can do miracles in people's lives if they'll let him.  But only if you give God a chance.  You don't have to even be a theist for this to work.  It works for anyone who is desperate and willing to go to the Nth degree to have God.  "I will be found when you seek me with all your heart."  Jeremiah 29:13

Poker Analogy

 I want to make an analogy based on the game of poker.  It's a bit involved, so bear with me.

In poker, people tend to think that the person who wins the pot is the best player.  They think that the best player is the one who is constantly winning pots.  Here's the real question- what happened in that hand that they won?  Did they get lucky?  How did their opponents respond to their play?

You see, the best player isn't necessarily the one who wins the most pots.  In fact, if a player is very lucky, they can win the most pots simply because they are dealt the best cards.  The best player in poker is the one who induces the most errors in their opponents.  You can induce a lot of errors in your opponents' play and still lose.  You can make the best plays and still end up with nothing.  You see, because in poker the person who wins the most is not always the same as the person who plays the best.

God calls us to view life as sort of a poker game.  There are some who are very lucky, getting dealt good hands over and over.  God doesn't evaluate us based on the cards we were dealt.  God evaluates us based on the plays we make with the cards that we are dealt.  So if you've been dealt a crappy hand, don't despair- you can still be great in the kingdom of Heaven.  If you've been dealt good hands, don't rejoice- you may not be nearly as good a player as you think you are.  You may just be very "lucky", which isn't essentially worth much in the Kingdom.  We must all strive to be good... "players", in the sense of maximizing the hands we are dealt, and not worrying about the fact that someone else seems to constantly be getting better cards than you.  Trust me.  God knows the difference between the ones who are just lucky, and the ones who are wise in how they maximize the cards they are dealt.  Being righteous in spite of the difficulties life gives you- that is how to be a Kingdom person in a world obsessed with appearances and obsessed with being number one.  We must learn to think in Kingdom ways, not as people of this world who are focused on getting ahead, but focused instead on how to bring glory to God.  For that is how you play your cards in the Kingdom of God.

Destiny

I appreciate, in some sense, what Joel Osteen is trying to do.  I just think he's got everything wrong.

If you watch Joel Osteen, you might think that God's Kingdom is about you being promoted and made prosperous in every sense of the word.  I'll be frank, I do believe people have destinies in God, but few people reach out and try to obtain their real destiny.  Most people settle for making more money, having a spouse and kids, and basically pursuing the American Dream.  I don't believe God is in that at all.

If God births in you a dream, expect to go the opposite way from which you think you should be headed if the dream is from God.  Joseph dreamed he would be the master and his brothers be his servants, and he was sold into slavery and later unjustly accused of a crime and sent to prison.  David was told he'd be king of Israel, but God didn't mention running around the wilderness hiding from a megalomaniac.  God doesn't like to use the direct route when sending someone to great destiny- he likes to take the long way.  Because to God, the perseverance that is created, the depths of character that are made, are what make the journey worthwhile.  God is into building character, not building worldly wealth.  Sure, to a precious few that might end in worldly wealth, but the people who go through this process develop a profound faith in God and a deep appreciation for God, which the wealth attained in the end pales in comparison towards.  If you have a real destiny in God, expect misery to come your way, followed swiftly by trials and tribulation.  Anyone who will be great in the kingdom of Heaven must first prove themselves through great difficulty and persevere through much pain.  God is into building DEEP people.  People who only want the money, will never see the true destiny that God would have for them.  If all you want is a quick fix, you completely misunderstand the nature of the kingdom of God, and will not see the kind of personal transformation that God would have for you.  For it is depth of character that God longs for, as well as deep faith.  You cannot acquire these things through shortcuts and quick fixes.  Either learn to persevere, or the dream you have is not from God.

Why I Think Overturning Roe V. Wade Might Be A Good Thing

 No, I have not become pro-life.  Please hear me out.

Our country is somewhat apathetic about politics.  When I read https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/16/opinions/roe-v-wade-overturn-conservatives-filipovic/index.html I realized something... we might be on the cusp of real change.  I think... if Roe V. Wade is overturned, many people- people who didn't care about politics, people who just assume government basically does the right thing all the time- will be INFURIATED.  I believe overturning Roe V. Wade could lead to an overhaul of congress, and ultimately an overhaul of the courts.  I think... pro-life people think that overturning Roe V. Wade will reduce the number of abortions, but in the long term it will lead to more democrats being elected and more just laws being enacted, which to me is worth the negative of Roe V. Wade being overturned.  So I say, if it will stir the American people to no longer tolerate a government that doesn't really well represent them, if it dramatically changes the political landscape of our country so that real change can be accomplished in congress, I say "go ahead conservative judges.  I dare you to overturn Roe V. Wade."  Seriously.  This could lead to the kind of revolution in governing that I've been yearning for, for some time.  Ironic that Mitch McConnell's dream could totally blow up in his face.  Ironic that pro-lifers imagine life being so much better if abortion was outlawed.  I think... I think overturning Roe V. Wade could DRAMATICALLY change the political landscape of our country.  And if I'm right, then conservative Supreme Court justices- BRING IT ON.

My word to people who are worried about this change- be energized by it.  Fight for a just government.  It is interesting that we live in a fairly apathetic country- people often don't really care about the laws that get enacted and the decisions that get made, just "assuming" that government has little to no impact in our day-to-day lives.  I'm telling you now that government can and should make a real difference in how lives go, but because of a VERY vocal minority, many good laws are held up in congress and never become law.  We need a real majority to accomplish what needs to be accomplished.  Only way to get that majority?  Getting people fired up enough to vote.  This could do it...  And I hope it does.

Kingdom Centered

A long time ago, someone told me I was going to be rich.  This was many years ago.  I don't know if that word is going to come true or not, but they said it.

My response was immediate:  "But I'm going to be rich towards God, right?"  My focus was on the wealth I would have in Heaven.  I honestly didn't care about having money in this life- what mattered to me was, was I going to be rich towards God?  That's what every believer's heart should be at.

I think, we need to be focused on advancing God's kingdom.  We need to be focused on bringing glory and honor to God, not our own personal advancement.  We need to do the right thing because it brings glory to God and because we'll have treasure in Heaven, not for personal advancement.  God may advance us- I believe God loves his people and desires that we have lives that bring glory to his kingdom, and I know our success tends to give more glory to God than our failures.  That does not mean that we are focused on our own story.  It also doesn't mean that if things aren't going well in your life that that is evidence that you aren't obeying God.  It COULD, but it doesn't have to, so it's shaky at best to look at your circumstances as a verdict on how you are living your life.

If we have sin in our lives, we need to deal with it.  Viewing ourselves as always the victim with no hand in the things that happen can lead to an unhealthy perspective.  I'm convicted as I say this, because it's often unclear to me what my mistake was in certain situations.  Regardless, I agree with the principle- you need to always be asking God for insight into your role in the tragedies that befall you.  If you messed up, you need to go back and apologize and try to make it right.  I don't believe asking God's forgiveness is enough- whenever you can, you need to go back to the person you sinned against and try to make it right.

Also I think it's important to be ever-focused on the real Whys of why you be righteous.  It's not for your personal prosperity.  Your number one reason for being righteous has ALWAYS got to be to bring glory to the Almighty.  Bringing glory to God has to be the focus.  You can't forget that in your midst.  If you need a selfish reason to be righteous, there is one- so that you might have treasure in Heaven.  My hope is that the first reason- bringing glory and honor to the Lord Almighty will be enough, as it should be enough.  I do think treasure in Heaven is real, and I do think some people will be richer than others in Heaven, and we should all aspire to being rich in Heaven.  I just hope my readers would aspire to more than personal advancement when they try to love their enemies and help the needy.  

May God teach my readers to think in Kingdom ways, and to try to be focused on having the right attitude in all situations, because we will be judged for how we conduct ourselves and whether we put God's kingdom first in all things.  To God be the glory!

Why I'm Not A Big Believer In Verbal Evangelism In General

I just watched a video where a pastor or minister said that he thought the reason why people don't talk to prechristians about their faith was because they didn't believe in objective truth.  This may be true for some people, but... I want to dive into my philosophy on verbal evangelism and try to convince you that if you aren't constantly bugging the prechristians in your life about becoming a Christian, you might be OK.

Fascinatingly enough, most Christians are bombarded with the idea of sharing their faith.  Pastors talk about it all the time.  And if done well, it can produce positive change in your friends and the people in your life, drawing them closer to God.  Should it be the focus though?  See, I'm a big believer in the long game.  People get right with God over time.  Hardly anyone goes from being a staunch atheist to a Christian overnight.  It just doesn't happen.  And frankly, prechristians can sense how you feel about them and what your attitude is towards them.  Are they a project to you?  Do you care about them even if they never follow Jesus?  Does the relationship hold value even if the person never chooses to live for God?  Why are you their friend?  

I think, the focus is on being a good friend.  The focus is on loving them where they are, with that love being the kind of love that they would interpret as love.  Sure, if you believe someone is destined for hell, of course you might want to say something at some point.  That's a legitimate sensation you are feeling.  I just... I can't believe that God wanted to fill the world with Amway salesmen, which to me is what evangelism can become if we aren't careful.  I think... a just god will know how to justly deal with an unbelieving world, and will not want us to treat Jesus like a product that we must sell like our own lives depend on it.  If your faith is legit, opportunities to talk about your faith will come from time to time without pushing for it.  It will happen naturally.  And when those opportunities arise, then it is natural to talk about God and Jesus without it being contrived.  And you know what?  If people know how much you love them by how you've treated them in the past, they'll take your words seriously because they know that you really care about them and aren't just looking for an evangelistic notch in your belt.

If there's one thing to take away from this, it's that love, patience, and perseverance win the day through acts of kindness, good listening skills, and empathy that prechristians may not have any sense that they need saving or that there is any hell to eventually worry about.  If we love people where they are at, and not think too heavily about where the relationship is going or whether we can fix them, I think the people in our lives will see the gospel in action, and they'll want what we have.  That is where the kingdom money is at.  Hopefully this will bring peace to you to not focus on the end result of your love towards the prechristians in your life, and instead focus on being a good friend regardless of the result, which is how we as the church will best reach the people in our lives who are looking for something more real than anything they've found so far in their journey.  Love is the key.  If we love people, they will know they are valued by God, and that will draw them closer to God, which is what we should want.  And trust God with the results.  God is working, if only we be conduits of his love so that people will have a good reason to want to know God personally.  And when we're conduits of God's love, The Great Commission is fulfilled naturally, without anyone being an "Amway salesman of Jesus."

Special Olympics

One day, when I was struggling with a sense of failing at life, I had a therapist that said something quite profound, that changes me even today.  He said to think about life like the Special Olympics.

Now... I've never watched the Special Olympics.  But I get the idea of what it is- it's about people who have impediments competing against other people who have impediments to see who can come out on top.  The thing is simple enough.  You know, I don't think anyone who does watch the Special Olympics, who watches the 100 meter dash, yells at the television "But you're not as fast as Usain Bolt!"  

I'll admit, in this post it's me that wants empathy.  I have THREE disabilities- ADD, Autism Spectrum Disorder (mild Asperger Syndrome) and Schizo-Effective Disorder.  I don't believe that this is an excuse not to do anything.  At the same time, I do think this means that anyone looking at my life should pause before judging me as not measuring up to whatever standard they think neurotypicals should measure up to.  I'm NOT neurotypical.  What might be a fair standard to everyone else may not be a fair standard to me.  Also, I need to remember this too- I shouldn't judge myself harshly because I don't have my shit quite as well together like other people do.  I believe I'm really trying to make my life work.  I just wish everyone in my life could see that I'm trying and that I'm doing well.  

My hope with this post is that people would learn to judge rightly, or be more reticent about judging what they don't understand.  As I'm trying to say, I don't want to use my disabilities as an excuse not to try to make progress.  I will say this though- I'm ALWAYS making progress.  Today I celebrated my third spring without mania or psychosis.  I've basically come to terms with my mental health issue, and thanks to my most recent hospitalization I have some skills now to help me debug errant thoughts.  I'm in the process of preparing to write a book, and I think I've found a topic I know something about that I will enjoy writing about.  My life is very full, and pretty satisfying.  I'm always trying to take new territory.  I think these are good things and worthy of a modicum of respect.  I know some people who have mental illness don't do anything, or spend all their time playing video games.  I'm not like that.  Maybe that seems like setting the bar too low, but in many ways those people are much closer to being my peers than the neurotypical with the house, the spouse and the career.  I'm not them.  Please remember- I'm doing the best that I can.

Taking Salvation For Granted

Fundamentally, we must understand that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."  This means that, to be wise, one must first fear the Lord.

What does that mean, to fear the Lord?  I believe it means that we're always aware of the precarious state we are in, that we are not given any guarantee that life will go our way or that we will inherit Heaven, simply because we prayed a prayer or some such nonsense.

I'm not saying we need to walk on eggshells.  Just a simple understanding that we can't just do exactly what we want to do all the time and in every situation, because we all know that God is judge and he can do what he likes with us.  We must choose to never presume upon God's kindness.  If we do presume upon God's kindness, it is possible that we can begin to believe that we may do whatever we like without worrying about any kind of repercussions, and this is an unhealthy place to be for any follower of God.

Please don't misunderstand me- I'm not espousing any kind of works-based religion here.  It is the condition of your heart that you must be cognizant of, not the status of your works.  Your heart can be hard or soft, and a hard heart is more dangerous than any sin ever could be.  A hard heart will keep you out of the kingdom of God.  A soft heart is pliable in the hands of God, and it's a heart God can move towards compassion and kindness.  Good deeds wrought from a good, soft heart, without the purpose of personal glory but instead desiring to help and aid one's fellow man is a heart destined for the kingdom of Heaven. 

Always remember that Jesus taught several parables about salvation, and none of the parables did it talk at all about accepting Jesus's death and resurrection as being the basis for getting into Heaven.  Instead, Jesus talked about masters who give talents to servants and then leave, coming back much later to see what they have done with the talent.  Or separating the sheep from the goats- judging people based on how they treated the least of these brothers of mine.  Fundamentally, how we respond to God's invitation to really live as emissaries of the kingdom of Heaven is what will demonstrate on Judgment Day that our hearts were soft and that we cared about what Jesus cared about, and therefore we are fit for Heaven.

Grieving

I should grieve.

No, I haven't lost a love one.  I lost my life.

It's true, I didn't commit suicide.  But I lost everything that mattered to me.  My sense of control over how things go, multiple friends, my job, the place I lived... I lost it all.  How did I lose all this you ask?  I went insane.

You know... it should be a simple thing to grieve losing so much.  However, there is no funeral when you lose your life like I did.  There are no cards that say "Sorry for your loss." in reference to losing one's life from having a break from reality.  There is nothing.  I'm just left to try to put my life back together, and I don't know how.

I realize this isn't a feel-good post.  I wish I knew what to tell myself.  "It will get easier."  Well, I suppose that's true, but for the past 12 years I've been somewhat in denial of how much was lost.  You know, before the hospitalization I was friends with a guy I'll call Jim.  That's not his real name, but that's what I'll call him here.  Anyhow, Jim and I were really close.  We were best friends.  Then mental illness hit.  He wouldn't talk to me or have anything to do with me.  My theory is his then girlfriend, who I hear he eventually married, didn't want to be associated with anybody who... "wasn't well."  You know, that really bites.  I lost one of my closest friends because of this illness.  The other stuff I lost was hard, but that was the hardest.

For the past two years and 2.5 months, I've been doing well.  Before that, it was constantly shifting medication, and two trips to the hospital.  Only now I'm realizing I need to grieve.  I don't know how!  I don't know how to let go of my failed existence!  You know, in a very real sense I lost my life because of my obsession with doing what God says.  I hope that that verse "those that lose their life for my sake will find it."  I'd like to find my life again.  In the meantime I would be doing well to grieve the losses I experienced.  It's just so hard...

Media Consumption

What does it mean to consume media that is antithetical to your faith?

I was posed this question.  I was asked if I consumed media that was against my faith.  I think Christians have the wrong idea of what it means.

You can watch videos that are secular.  You absolutely can.  And that's not going to hurt your faith.  Stuff that hurts your faith are stuff with a slant that is antithetical to Kingdom thought.  For example, I wouldn't recommend to any believer that they listen to secular rap music.  Why you say?  Because it very clearly is slanted in an unhealthy way.  

What else is unhealthy?

I would say that it just varies from movie to movie.  For example, the Christopher Nolan Batman movies- I'd totally recommend them.  Batman in those movies is in a lot of ways a picture of Christ.  Yes, it's hard to picture Christ beating up the criminal population of the city, HOWEVER... did you notice that he doesn't generally use guns?  He tries not to kill people.  That's a rule he follows- "No killing.  No guns."  Also, at the end of "The Dark Knight" when Batman says "The Joker must not win.  I can do those things."  He takes the blame for Two-face's crimes!  Who else do we know that basically took the blame for someone else's crimes?  Jesus of course!  There's a lot of positive imagery in the Christopher Nolan Batman series.  I have lots of respect for the thought that went into that series.  So... whether something is antithetical to Christianity is more complex than just "It was made by a secular media company."

You want other movies with Kingdom slants?  How about The Shawshank Redemption?  That one has the kingdom all over it.  It helps that Stephen King is a Christian, who tries a more nuanced approach to sharing his faith than something in your face.  Same thing with "The Green Mile."  There are many movies with Kingdom themes that are not totally obvious.  Even people who aren't believers can make things that are not totally useless or unhelpful.  For example, I just watched Iliza Shlesinger's comedy specials on Netflix, and while I wouldn't recommend children watching that, I would say that there is stuff that can be gleaned about life on earth that you can get from comedies.  There are lots of things like that.  Is EVERYTHING like that?  I don't think so, but for a Christian to refuse to watch something, I think it needs to be for a better reason than "there's swearing in it" or "people are drunk in it or talk of people being drunk is in it."  Just... you want something that will dry you out spiritually?  How about Star Trek? 

Star Trek was written from the slant that their is no God.  Aside from the episodes with Q in it (Q is basically a god), God is written out of the series and Roddenberry is coming from the perspective that in the future, humanity "evolved" such that man didn't need spirituality any more.  You want something to dry you out spiritually and feeling sad?  Star Trek will tend to do that.  I love the Q episodes, by the way, but then Q and Data are the only interesting characters in Star Trek The Next Generation.  My point is- you need to think DEEPLY about what is spiritually enriching and what is actually going to suck the life out of your heart.  A lot of stuff is neutral.  Beware of watching something with an atheistic slant however.  Beware of watching movies that don't try to give you anything useful to chew on or part any wisdom to you.  All the movies I like, all try to give the watcher something to think about.  If all you are being is entertained, beware...

Transgender/Pronouns

First of all, let me say that I don't know what it's like to have the thinking that "I'm something other than what I am."  I don't know what that feels like.  I hope this post doesn't come off as insensitive.

I think... I think it costs Christians very little to acknowledge someone through preferred pronouns.  I know that there are Christians who aren't going to do that, because they feel "if I use the pronouns they like, they'll think I approve and I don't."  The question I have to ask someone who has this mindset is, what are you trying to accomplish and what WILL be accomplished by ignoring their wishes?

I assume what you are trying to accomplish is to somehow get the person involved to realize they are wrong.  I'm going to be frank, believing you are a different gender than what you were born with seems a little akin to stating with certainty you are a poached egg.  This may be offensive to any transgender person who is reading this, but that's how I see it.  But even if someone did come up to me and tell me that they were a poached egg, my first instinct wouldn't be to correct them or try to fix them.  I would say to you that believing you are something different than you are is probably a mental health issue, and I'm pretty sure that just trying to directly fix them is not going to work.  That means that using the pronouns you prefer (their birth pronouns) and trying to directly fix them is going to get you nowhere.  Is that what Jesus taught?  I just don't see Jesus going this route, because Jesus's primary goals were about drawing someone closer to God, and I don't see that correcting people such that you make them mad is drawing them closer to God.

It all comes down to priorities.  We should make a stand when it's worth something.  Sometimes you have to make principled stand because righteousness is on the line.  I don't think it's on the line in this situation.  Yes, it is possible that someone might get the idea that you approve of them being a different gender than they are born with.  Is that really so bad?  They might also get the idea that God loves them.  To me that's far more important than them thinking you don't approve of them saying they are a different gender than they were born with.  I'd rather someone go to Heaven and be surprised that they really were the gender they were born with, than go to hell knowing full well they were the gender they were born with.

We got to keep our priorities straight.  Tough love may be... tempting... but in this case I think it's not necessary or helpful.