Loved by the World

"If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you." John 15:19

What do you think it means to be loved by the world? Does it mean to be tolerated? To be accepted or embraced? To peacefully coexist?

Recently, I have heard several stories of conflict arising within the body of Christ that makes me think that the church is far more into being loved by the world than being hated by the world. I mean, you can catch more flies with honey, right? Why would we purposefully make ourselves distasteful to the world? Wouldn't that defeat our call to go and make disciples?

Here's the thing - John 15 makes it painfully clear that if we are the chosen children of God we will be hated. Can we make the conclusion, then, that if we are not hated, we are not the children of God? That seems to be an extreme conclusion, but I think it warrants some thought.

Standing on doctrinal absolutes today seems to cause more trouble within the church than it does within the world. It seems to me that what would make us distasteful to the world would be the truth that we stand on - and that very truth has become distasteful within the walls of the church. Tolerance has become the accepted standard, and within this word we see extremes. Tolerance of all religion is on one end of the pendulum, and tolerance of all doctrinal beliefs is on the other end.

(Don't take a stand on literal creation - it doesn't really matter, does it? Don't argue 5 points of anything - they only divide and expose your intolerance. Don't make a big deal out of purity - people are going to do what they are going to do - welcome to the 21st century. Divorce is a valid option in all difficult marriages. Baptize whomever and however you please - just so the people feel good when it's done. Don't teach people to give, continue to blame sin on the past, you can't love others until you learn to love yourself and the Bible is not necessarily sufficient for all of life's problems - modern psychology and medicines help as well.)

And I was just getting warmed up.

The problem is that truth is intolerant of other "views" - there is only one truth and that means that truth finds no home within the tolerance spectrum. Can't you see that when we don't stand on truth, then we blend into the world and suddenly we are more popular than ever - embraced by not only our fellow church attenders but also the world? And when we don't stand on truth, we become spiritual Velveeta - we look and taste like Christ, but there is nothing real about us.

So, as I see it, we have a choice - love like the world wants us to love, with tolerance as our theme song. Then not only will we have a lot of friends in the world, but we will also have a lot of friends in the church. Or love like Christ exampled for us to love and warned of the consequences of being His children.

Remember, His love led Him to the cross, not because He won a popularity contest, but because He spoke truth.

Okay, that's my rant for today...I don't feel like I scratched the surface...

Just for a smile...

(Sorry about the YouTube name - I think it's a play on words from the "Where in the world is Matt Lauer?" segment on the Today show...)

This is an old video - you can see by how many hits it has...but it's one of my favorites. If you've seen it, smile again. If you haven't, you're in for a treat. I especially like the scene at 2:33...

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Thankfulness from Luke

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.

I was the poor.

I was a slave to sin,

with no family ties, with no inheritance and no future.

He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,

I was the captive.

I was in chains to my sin.

There was no release in sight since I could not repay my debt.

And recovery of sight to the blind,

I was the blind.

Blind to my desperate need.

Completely blind to my lostness.

I thought I could figure out a way to heal myself.

I was wrong.

To set free those who are oppressed,

I was oppressed.

I was weighed down with my sin.

I carried it with me wherever I went.

It was mine to bear and I had no way to get out from under it.

To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord."

Luke 9:18,19

I was the Pharisee, lost in his own legalistic works.

I was the leper, diseased, outcast and hopeless.

I was the tax collector, a thief and beyond despair.

I was the cripple, disfigured by my own sin.

But that was then, and this is now.

I am no longer poor, captive, blind and oppressed.

I am no longer a Pharisee, a leper, a tax collector and a cripple.

Thanks be to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,

I am free.

Free from sin, free from the chains that bound me.

I am an heir to the Kingdom of God as His adopted child.

I am no longer lost, but found in His love.

I am washed clean in His blood.

I am His forever and forever He is mine.

We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, don't we? On the eve of Thanksgiving, I want to wish my friends and family a blessed Thanksgiving Day and to encourage you all to start your thankfulness with the One who has given us all good things.

Wanted to share this with you...

HBCSL Baptisms! October 24, 2010 from Harvest Spring Lake on Vimeo.