Eyes to See - ID and a bat

This video is pretty amazing. Well, at least somewhat amazing. The thing that made me think more deeply about it is the last comment that the commentator says, "That would never happen in a hundred years." It made me think about the odds of a bat standing on end unintentionally, like this one. Even the average person sees the unlikeliness of such an event. For this event to repeat it would take 100 years to do so. That's what I call eyes that don't see. People look at such an event and sees the rarity of it. It is so amazing that it causes some to take a video clip of it and put it on the internet for all to see. However, when the very same concept is presented to point people toward intelligent design it is given the cold shoulder. Why? A few are given eyes to see. It reminds me of the Israelites (Deut 29:4). God had worked mightily among them and even given them miracles that we haven't been privy to see. Although, they did not truly see. So what is the application of all this? Use your eyes to see and your ears to hear; not just the earthly things, but the spiritual realities that surround us. Use the everyday to point to eternity. Talk about LOST and HEROES and whatever else comes up, but be an opportunist. Show those things that people are interested in for what they truly are: signposts to spiritual realities. (Look for a future post on Jesus as an opportunist.)

Responsibilities of a Pastor - Part 2 -Spritual Vitality

The second most important duty of a pastor is to maintain spiritual vitality. A man cannot do this of his own will, which is why reliance upon God through prayer is of first importance. However, we can make use of the God-given means by which we are made new. If a man is to lead others into a greater degree of intimacy with the Lord Jesus, then he must first have this spiritual vitality that he looks to bring others into. We cannot expect a man who is not walking joyfully alongside his God to be used to impart life to people. Of course, the Lord can use whatever means he pleases, but it is not how he typically works, nor is it how he instructs us to be faithful and prepared. For example, remember the warning for husbands in 1 Peter 3:7 where God tells husbands their prayers will be hindered?

So, elders should be constantly putting God's "means of grace" in their way. (Another post will address "means of grace" more thoroughly.) If God has provided things to help us grow, then bishops should be throwing these things unavoidably in their path. They should be going to Scripture to be influenced and changed by God's thoughts. They should be men of prayer who depend on God to change hearts including their own. They should be men of fellowship who look to others for counsel and advice. They should look forward to reminders of their faith, like when others are baptized, taking communion, or hearing testimonies. Since pastors are responsible for the shepherding of people unto spiritual vitality it requires the man, himself place his own life in Christ as a very high priority. This is to say nothing of the temptations with which pastors are constantly and consistently bombarded. In such cases, a good offense is often the best defense and a man best thicken his skin and steady himself for the sure and coming battles that lie ahead. The best way to prepare oneself for the temptations of Potiphar's wife (Gen. 39) and the accusations of the superapostles (2 Cor. 2:12) is to be valuing God more and more.

It seems odd that I have listed the two most important responsibilities of a pastor, but I haven't yet even talked about any personal contact with other people (aside from the need for fellowship). However, I believe that this testifies to the importance of the position because it takes such great preparation before one even interacts with others.

Responsibilities of a Pastor - Part 1 - Prayer

I am currently being considered for the position of elder at our church. And in this process I have had time to reflect on some things that I don't usually think of so concretely. Out of concern for the people in our church I wanted to communicate to them what I felt my responsibilities would be if I became a pastor. As the second pastor in our church, they would surely be wondering about this. So, I plan to spell this out in a short series of articles that may not necessarily be in order of importance. However, I believe that this first article is of first importance in the order of responsibilities.

The first and most important responsibility of a pastor is to pray. He must pray for himself, his family, and the body. Prayer is of such great importance because it is the catalyst for all other spiritual growth. Let me explain what I mean. Let's say you are in a spiritual drought. You haven't been reading your Bible, you haven't been praying very much and when you do it doesn't seem to help, you act irritable towards family members, and maybe you just lack joy, in general. What can you do to help? Scripture won't come alive to you, so that doesn't seem to be helpful. Talking with others helps to understand the problem, but may not be the helping hand to lift you out of your valley. The starting point is to focus on prayer. God is the changer of hearts and the reviver of them, too. What will be helpful is to ask, plead, and beg God to make your mind and heart interested in the things of God again. Abandon your "routine" prayer. Being realistic with God about your situation and what needs to happen will be greatly beneficial. This might look something like "God, I honestly don't desire to know/love You more right now. I feel content in my relationship with you and have no motivation to serve You. I know this is wrong. Please, help me. I believe your promise that you won't leave me in such a state, but will continue the work you started in my life. Father, please change my heart."

I believe that this example helps to highlight the importance of prayer. If prayer is our aid in our worst spiritual state, then it will certainly be helpful in all lesser trials. Even more importantly, God is clear about the importance of prayer and its effectiveness. And because of the emphasis that our Lord puts on prayer, I feel it would be my first duty to pray for those under my care. This is not to say that all people shouldn’t be praying in such a way. I believe they should. However, as an elder has specific responsibilities to shepherd and to oversee souls, I see this means of change in people’s hearts and lives as of first importance.

Why I Love the Clintons

I imagine that those who read my blog are intrigued by the title of this post. Mayhaps that is why you are reading it right now. For the most part, my readers would be conservative Christians who disagree with many views of the Clintons. However, there is something wrong with this scenario. Think about it - Christians fascinated by another Christian proclaiming to love the despicable (at least, that's how most of us think of them). Sure, I intentionally chose the title of this post to try and "trap" you. But, did it work? If not, then great! But, if you were one of the millions (or couple) of people who were so fascinated by why a conservative Christian might love a liberal non-Christian (despite who they may be), then my little snare worked. The body of Christ has drawn too many lines in the sand where Scripture doesn't. In fact, sometimes beyond where Scripture does. One of those lines is how we think about people different than us, despicable people, lying, cheating, stealing, prideful, Clinton-type people. The love of Christ should surprise anyone except a Christian. After all, we are the very ones who know personally the amount of forgiveness that Christ has poured out onto us. It covers us head to toe, drenching our sinful garments. Remembering our own sinfulness should keep us humble, should keep us loving. Even people so wicked as the Clintons. It is always good to keep in mind the saying, "But for the grace of God, there go I."