Last month in New York City, 45 year-old Harold Luken walked into a Bank of America and announced that he had a gun and was going to rob the place. He then went to the teller line and told those in front of him to carry on their business. When he finally reached the teller, he again announced that he had a gun and told her to empty the contents of her register. Knowing the police were about arrive (since he had given them plenty of notice :-), she refused. So he then gave her his bank card and asked to check his balance. She again refused. The man, reportedly, angrily stormed off muttering, “I’ll just take my business to Citibank and rob them!”
He was arrested on the sidewalk within minutes after he exited the bank. I’m sure Bank of America will be sad to see Harold go.
In my nearly 25 years of pastoring, I’ve met a few “Harolds.” After displaying negative attitudes, lots of complaining and multiple attempts to stir up trouble, they would eventually say something like, “I think it’s time I find another church.” I’d usually smile and agree, “Ya, Harold (their names were never actually Harold), I think you’re right.” They’d be astonished I didn’t try to talk them into staying. But for me, it was kind of like Bank of America hearing, “I’ll just take my business to Citibank and rob them!” The difference is, we are not in competition with other Gospel preaching churches and I want all of them to do well and do not wish soul robbers on any of them.
As a church, we are here to help those who are seeking find their way, feed those who want to grow, and direct those who want to serve. But some people seem to think we just want EVERYBODY here. Actually, The Bridge isn’t for everybody. The Apostle Paul told the Roman church, “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them” (Romans 16:17). Those who detract from our mission, create an atmosphere of discontent, or hinder the spiritual growth of new believers, will not enjoy themselves at The Bridge, and we won’t work too hard to keep them in the position of “robbing” what God is doing in and through us.
I’m glad you are here. But this church has a mission. If you are here, take your time in getting to know us. But part of getting to know us is to know we want you serving WITH us. Don’t be a Harold. Discard the weapons and throw away the bag you were planning of filling for yourself, roll up your sleeves and join us in the work God has for us!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Is Dog Man's Best Friend?
I doubt Joel Dobrin’s dog is, at least not anymore.
Dobrin was pulled over a few days ago for a routine traffic stop in Moro, Idaho. He had a stash of drugs stuffed in a sock, sitting next to him, and not wanting the officer to see it, flung it onto the floor of the back seat. Dobrin’s dog saw this as an opportunity for a game of fetch and jumped back to get it. The officer was still in the car awaiting radio response from the license check, so Dobrin reached for the sock to pull it from the dog’s mouth, who, in turn, saw it as a game of tug-of-war. Dobrin won the game but lost the war. He pulled the sock so hard that as he yanked it out of the dog’s mouth, it went flying out his window, with contraband scattering everywhere. All this in perfect timing: just as the officer approached the car.
I wonder if Rover will recognize him in that bright orange jump suit?
Joel, don’t blame your dog. He was just being a dog. And don’t blame the cop, he was doing his job and upholding the law. This was all you! You are the cause of your own troubles.
But that’s a tough admission to make. Not just for Joel Dobrin, but for all of us. It’s a lot easier on our psyche to convince ourselves that the trouble at work is due to an over-demanding boss or irresponsible coworkers. It’s feels better to blame the bad marriage on the lack of communication skills of your husband or the moodiness of your wife. And you don’t feel so condemned when you reason that your addiction is due to the way you were hard-wired than due to a series of bad choices.
But if Joel blames his dog, I doubt this will be his last stint in jail.
And if you keep blaming everyone and everything else, your troubles will just continue to repeat themselves.
Blame-shifting and excuse-making are as old as Adam and Eve. Neither one of them were willing to take responsibility for their sin. We tend to follow suit.
But that’s also what keeps us from being released from sin’s bondage. The first step to freedom is confession, which is a full acknowledgment of one’s offense, without excusing or accusing others. Proverbs 28:13 reads, “Whoever conceals his sins will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”
God is eager to forgive you and deliver you. But you’ve got to stop defending yourself, playing games and pointing fingers.
You know what? I really do think Joel Dobrin’s dog was his best friend. It was to Joel’s benefit to get caught. But whether or not he repents or keeps playing tug-of-war will determine if his life changes for the better.
Maybe that’s the case with you as well.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Dobrin was pulled over a few days ago for a routine traffic stop in Moro, Idaho. He had a stash of drugs stuffed in a sock, sitting next to him, and not wanting the officer to see it, flung it onto the floor of the back seat. Dobrin’s dog saw this as an opportunity for a game of fetch and jumped back to get it. The officer was still in the car awaiting radio response from the license check, so Dobrin reached for the sock to pull it from the dog’s mouth, who, in turn, saw it as a game of tug-of-war. Dobrin won the game but lost the war. He pulled the sock so hard that as he yanked it out of the dog’s mouth, it went flying out his window, with contraband scattering everywhere. All this in perfect timing: just as the officer approached the car.
I wonder if Rover will recognize him in that bright orange jump suit?
Joel, don’t blame your dog. He was just being a dog. And don’t blame the cop, he was doing his job and upholding the law. This was all you! You are the cause of your own troubles.
But that’s a tough admission to make. Not just for Joel Dobrin, but for all of us. It’s a lot easier on our psyche to convince ourselves that the trouble at work is due to an over-demanding boss or irresponsible coworkers. It’s feels better to blame the bad marriage on the lack of communication skills of your husband or the moodiness of your wife. And you don’t feel so condemned when you reason that your addiction is due to the way you were hard-wired than due to a series of bad choices.
But if Joel blames his dog, I doubt this will be his last stint in jail.
And if you keep blaming everyone and everything else, your troubles will just continue to repeat themselves.
Blame-shifting and excuse-making are as old as Adam and Eve. Neither one of them were willing to take responsibility for their sin. We tend to follow suit.
But that’s also what keeps us from being released from sin’s bondage. The first step to freedom is confession, which is a full acknowledgment of one’s offense, without excusing or accusing others. Proverbs 28:13 reads, “Whoever conceals his sins will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”
God is eager to forgive you and deliver you. But you’ve got to stop defending yourself, playing games and pointing fingers.
You know what? I really do think Joel Dobrin’s dog was his best friend. It was to Joel’s benefit to get caught. But whether or not he repents or keeps playing tug-of-war will determine if his life changes for the better.
Maybe that’s the case with you as well.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Rejoicing Over bin Laden's Death
In the aftermath of Osama bin Laden’s death, I’ve been a bit surprised by the buzz among Christians all over Facebook and Twitter, and in private conversations, over whether or not it was appropriate for Americans, Christians specifically, to celebrate.
The arguments against rejoicing go something like this–– “Osoma bin Laden may have been an enemy, but Jesus taught us to love our enemies. The death of any human being is a tragedy, and we should never rejoice over any man’s death.” A couple of Bible verses are sometimes cited, such as Proverbs 24:17 – “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles.” Ezekiel 33:11 is also quoted, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.” A priest on one of the news stations the other night went so far as telling the commentator that Americans who were elated over bin Laden’s death were no better than the Muslim terrorist sympathizers who publicly rejoiced when the World Trace Center Towers fell on 9-11. Advocates of this view were quick to pass on the quote attributed to Martin Luther King Jr., “I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy.”
Is that right? Is that what Jesus meant by, “Love your enemies”? Should Christians rejoice in the death of an enemy? (Incidentally, MLK never actually said the above quote. Somebody just thought they’d get more credibility with it if it was attributed it to him.)
We have to always be careful that we do not misinterpret isolated Scriptures when making application to any subject. All Scripture is inspired, and it is a unified whole. One passage will not contradict another. When it comes to obscure passages or statements that can be interpreted in a couple of ways, we should use clear passages and the whole of Scripture to help us understand the meaning of those that are less clear or less obvious.
With that in mind, did Jesus mean by loving our enemies that we should not celebrate a victory over a military enemy, who is actively seeking to take innocent lives, including our brothers and sisters? If so, he would have been contradicting multiple passages where God’s people both sought The Lord to bring justice upon their enemies (Revelation 6:10), or where God’s people rightly celebrated victory over them, including the deaths of those who were seeking to destroy them. 2 Chronicles 20:27 reads, "Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies." Psalm 9 is especially applicable in that David used the entire Psalm to celebrate, thank, and praise God for victory over (including the deaths of) those who were seeking to destroy him. We also can’t ignore the many celebrations the Children of Israel made after major victories over their enemies, including the deaths of the entire Egyptian army after the crossing of the Red Sea, the inhabitants of Jericho after the miraculous collapse of its walls, and many other enemies during the Promised Land conquests and when attacked by enemies during the monarchy.
So then, what did Jesus mean by, “Love your enemies”? To love is to practice acts of self-sacrificial good-will for the benefit of another, without expecting anything in return. It does not mean that we are not to protect ourselves, our loved ones, our countrymen, or principles of righteousness. As followers of God, we ought to be lovers of justice and protectors of those who are innocent. It is certainly appropriate that we celebrate when justice prevails, when evil is vanquished, and when innocent lives are protected. Knowing that bin Laden was actively seeking to kill more Jews and Americans, simply because they are Jewish or American, we ought to rejoice that those lives he would have taken, had he lived, are now saved. That, along with justice prevailing, is cause for rejoicing.
God would have rather that bin Laden had repented. YES! I certainly would have as well. Sadly, that did not happen. But justice did.
The arguments against rejoicing go something like this–– “Osoma bin Laden may have been an enemy, but Jesus taught us to love our enemies. The death of any human being is a tragedy, and we should never rejoice over any man’s death.” A couple of Bible verses are sometimes cited, such as Proverbs 24:17 – “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles.” Ezekiel 33:11 is also quoted, “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.” A priest on one of the news stations the other night went so far as telling the commentator that Americans who were elated over bin Laden’s death were no better than the Muslim terrorist sympathizers who publicly rejoiced when the World Trace Center Towers fell on 9-11. Advocates of this view were quick to pass on the quote attributed to Martin Luther King Jr., “I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy.”
Is that right? Is that what Jesus meant by, “Love your enemies”? Should Christians rejoice in the death of an enemy? (Incidentally, MLK never actually said the above quote. Somebody just thought they’d get more credibility with it if it was attributed it to him.)
We have to always be careful that we do not misinterpret isolated Scriptures when making application to any subject. All Scripture is inspired, and it is a unified whole. One passage will not contradict another. When it comes to obscure passages or statements that can be interpreted in a couple of ways, we should use clear passages and the whole of Scripture to help us understand the meaning of those that are less clear or less obvious.
With that in mind, did Jesus mean by loving our enemies that we should not celebrate a victory over a military enemy, who is actively seeking to take innocent lives, including our brothers and sisters? If so, he would have been contradicting multiple passages where God’s people both sought The Lord to bring justice upon their enemies (Revelation 6:10), or where God’s people rightly celebrated victory over them, including the deaths of those who were seeking to destroy them. 2 Chronicles 20:27 reads, "Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned joyfully to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies." Psalm 9 is especially applicable in that David used the entire Psalm to celebrate, thank, and praise God for victory over (including the deaths of) those who were seeking to destroy him. We also can’t ignore the many celebrations the Children of Israel made after major victories over their enemies, including the deaths of the entire Egyptian army after the crossing of the Red Sea, the inhabitants of Jericho after the miraculous collapse of its walls, and many other enemies during the Promised Land conquests and when attacked by enemies during the monarchy.
So then, what did Jesus mean by, “Love your enemies”? To love is to practice acts of self-sacrificial good-will for the benefit of another, without expecting anything in return. It does not mean that we are not to protect ourselves, our loved ones, our countrymen, or principles of righteousness. As followers of God, we ought to be lovers of justice and protectors of those who are innocent. It is certainly appropriate that we celebrate when justice prevails, when evil is vanquished, and when innocent lives are protected. Knowing that bin Laden was actively seeking to kill more Jews and Americans, simply because they are Jewish or American, we ought to rejoice that those lives he would have taken, had he lived, are now saved. That, along with justice prevailing, is cause for rejoicing.
God would have rather that bin Laden had repented. YES! I certainly would have as well. Sadly, that did not happen. But justice did.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Are You Up to the Challenge?
“The difficult we will do immediately; the impossible may take us a while longer!”
That’s the slogan of the Seabees, that group of over 300,000 courageous, hard-working men first called up during World War II who followed combat units into newly conquered territory. From the island hopping of World War II to the cold of Korea, to the jungles of Vietnam, to the mountains of Bosnia, and now to the desert of Afghanistan, the Seabees have built entire bases, bulldozed and paved thousands of miles of roadway and airstrips, built bridges and military bases and have accomplished a myriad of construction projects vital for military success. “The difficult we will do immediately; the impossible may take us a while longer!”
What do you consider impossible? Slavery? Booker T. Washington was born into slavery. Deafness? Thomas Edison was virtually deaf. Poor home? Abraham Lincoln was born to illiterate parents. Physical handicaps? Lord Byron had a club foot. Robert Louis Stevenson had tuberculosis. Alexander Pope was a hunchback. Admiral Nelson had only one eye. Julius Caesar was an epileptic. Louis Pasteur, was so near-sighted that he had a difficult time finding his way around his laboratory. Helen Keller could not hear or see, but graduated with honors from Radcliffe. An expert said of famous football coach Vince Lombardi: “He possesses minimal football knowledge. Lacks motivation.” Louisa May Alcott, the author of Little Women, was advised by her family to find work as a servant or seamstress. The teacher of famous opera singer Enrico Caruso said Caruso had no voice at all and could not sing. Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper for lacking ideas. He also went bankrupt several times before he succeeded.
I don’t know how many of them were believers but I do know that many of them accomplished what was thought to be impossible in their own human strength. If they could do it, shouldn’t the child of God be able to do the impossible in God’s strength. Our God loves the word “impossible.”
Our goals tend to be too short sighted and our faith tends to be weak. God wants to do great things for us and through us if we are willing to connect with Him long enough to embrace His vision. He wants to do great things through you at work, home and church! Are you up to the challenge?
To be used of God and to see Him work in a great way takes the risk of faith and the commitment of time, energy and recourses on our part. And it will all start when we catch His vision. He wants to use us. He wants to use you. Again, I ask, are you up to the challenge? Do you want to see the impossible?
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you... plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
That’s the slogan of the Seabees, that group of over 300,000 courageous, hard-working men first called up during World War II who followed combat units into newly conquered territory. From the island hopping of World War II to the cold of Korea, to the jungles of Vietnam, to the mountains of Bosnia, and now to the desert of Afghanistan, the Seabees have built entire bases, bulldozed and paved thousands of miles of roadway and airstrips, built bridges and military bases and have accomplished a myriad of construction projects vital for military success. “The difficult we will do immediately; the impossible may take us a while longer!”
What do you consider impossible? Slavery? Booker T. Washington was born into slavery. Deafness? Thomas Edison was virtually deaf. Poor home? Abraham Lincoln was born to illiterate parents. Physical handicaps? Lord Byron had a club foot. Robert Louis Stevenson had tuberculosis. Alexander Pope was a hunchback. Admiral Nelson had only one eye. Julius Caesar was an epileptic. Louis Pasteur, was so near-sighted that he had a difficult time finding his way around his laboratory. Helen Keller could not hear or see, but graduated with honors from Radcliffe. An expert said of famous football coach Vince Lombardi: “He possesses minimal football knowledge. Lacks motivation.” Louisa May Alcott, the author of Little Women, was advised by her family to find work as a servant or seamstress. The teacher of famous opera singer Enrico Caruso said Caruso had no voice at all and could not sing. Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper for lacking ideas. He also went bankrupt several times before he succeeded.
I don’t know how many of them were believers but I do know that many of them accomplished what was thought to be impossible in their own human strength. If they could do it, shouldn’t the child of God be able to do the impossible in God’s strength. Our God loves the word “impossible.”
Our goals tend to be too short sighted and our faith tends to be weak. God wants to do great things for us and through us if we are willing to connect with Him long enough to embrace His vision. He wants to do great things through you at work, home and church! Are you up to the challenge?
To be used of God and to see Him work in a great way takes the risk of faith and the commitment of time, energy and recourses on our part. And it will all start when we catch His vision. He wants to use us. He wants to use you. Again, I ask, are you up to the challenge? Do you want to see the impossible?
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you... plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
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