scarceblog

[scarceblog]

Slow to anger...even on facebook

We live an extremely controversial world. With social media platforms out the wazoo and press outlets feeding us 24/7, it’s nearly impossible not to base strong opinions and beliefs over something and dispute it in one forum or another. Not to mention the incredible reach any one person can have over an audience to sway them, good or bad. Kind of like this blog, right? I may only have a small audience consisting of my wife and two cats with the occasional visitor, but through this blog, there is potential to reach an audience. Oh...and that’s my goal! 

Let me cut to the chase here...

Christians - We need not be quick to judge, to cast stones, or show anger towards a differing view. Instead, we must be slow to anger, put down our stones(phones. I mean, it’s the 21st century), and show the love of Christ. 

Now let me clarify. Is it okay to disagree with someone? Of course. Is it normal for us as Christians to feel as if we are under attack by the world? Yes, because we are! Then why shouldn’t we be angry? Maybe it’s okay to feel angry, but we need to be careful how we let people see that anger. 

Why shouldn’t we fight back on facebook and slam our beliefs in their faces? 

First off, representing your faith and beliefs is one thing, but I think you all know what I’m referring to. It’s those endless “comments” sections between opposing people and by the time you get halfway through the feed, you wonder if either one of them is a follower of Christ. In fact, you may be so taken aback by the debate, you begin exercising compassion and mercy by kneeling down and praying for them on the spot.  

I’ll list a few quick reasons, founded in scripture, why those types of debates shouldn’t include us.

We are image-bearers of God. We, His children, are created in the image of God. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”(Genesis 1:27)

We are called to follow Christ, to take up our cross and follow Jesus, God Himself. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)

We are to seek God’s will for our lives, to follow Him, and care for those around us. David, a great king in the old testament, was known for being a man after God’s own heart(Acts 13:22). He was sinful just as we are, but he lived out many attributes of God’s heart: humble, trusting, loving, respectful, merciful, faithful, devoted, and he was repentant of his sins. All of these attributes are seen in David’s hospitality towards Mephibosheth, a man who considered even himself to be a “dead dog”, yet King David upheld a promise from the past, and gave him a seat at the King’s table for the rest of his life. Read 2 Samuel, beginning in chapter 4 for the story, but David’s true heart is shown in Samuel 9. 

We are not to judge, unless we ourselves are free from sin...we know that’s not the case. Jesus references throughout the new testament that we are not to judge, for judging others only brings condemnation upon ourselves. (John 8:7, Romans 2:1, Mathew 7:1, Mathew 7:3)

Fruits of the Spirit are what we should be reflecting!  Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It is WAY too easy to forget these when we’re rapid-firing comments and tweets. 

 Peace must come before anger, even(and arguably especially) when reaching the unrighteous. James emphasizes throughout his book to be set on good deeds and patience. Not that good deeds offers salvation, but remaining peaceful and being good to others will reap righteousness. Others will want the the peace you have, offered through Jesus Christ! (James 3:18)

I could go on and on, but I’ll leave that as enough reason to keep your cool when scrolling through the bookface or tweeb feed. We are created in the image of God, called to follow Him through the man Jesus Christ, led by the Holy Spirit into all the world, reflecting the fruits of the spirit inside of us. 

Case in point: our anger, our retaliations, and rapid-fire statements are not going to win souls for the Kingdom of God. We must live as Christ lived, showing love, kindness, and peace to all we come in contact with. Remember, Jesus Christ was God Himself, yet he didn’t even consider equality with God(Philippians 2:6). How then, can we play the role of Judge, when it is God who judges? 

The more anger we show, the more hypocritical we look.

Maybe you see someone doing something you truly believe is against God(a sin). Yes, your heart should break for that person, but you have to approach each situation with caution. If you have a brother or sister in Christ who you know and have a relationship with of some kind, you may be able to be more forward with them, while remaining completely kind, loving, and compassionate. If you’re on facebook and you don’t know the person, it’s a whole different scenario. Keep in mind, the person on facebook has no reason to listen to you as far as they’re concerned so, before you send a comment, make sure you build some trust first. Even then we must remember we are here to assist those who haven’t come to a knowing faith, not show anger towards them. We want to help our neighbors, not turn them away from the gospel. 

I will agree with anyone that says it’s hard to walk through the day and not feel sorrow and heartbreak from the state of the world. As followers of Christ, that’s normal! The closer we become to knowing God and understanding His nature, His heart, the more common that will be. It’s part of the burden of taking up our cross to follow Christ. Just remember to be slow to anger and always have your intentions be set on assisting and helping...even on facebook. 

[scarceblog]

Just a down beat and a string.

You know, we all have different passions, right? I think we can agree with that. I enjoy this, you enjoy that, and Joe down the road is way better at welding than I ever will be. 

My passion is music. God has given me a desire and a drive to pursue music, but to also pursue Him through the music I am after. When I play my guitar in my room, in a coffee shop, in church on Sunday, I do it as an offering to God and I hope to glorify Him through it. 

As a teenager, one of my favorite bands was Bleach. They may or may not still be around, I’m not sure. I went to a concert back in the early 2000′s and haven’t really heard much news since. They had a song called “All That’s Sweet”, and one of the lines went like this:

“And here is my offering, just a down beat and a string, but to you it’s a beautiful thing.”

I’ve never thought of myself as someone who is really great at anything. It’s something that has always bothered me, and it’s prevented me from truly pursuing an occupation or hobby with excellence. It’s these lyrics, however, that ring so true and encourage me when I revisit them from time to time. On my own I feel as if I’m just a person who just happens to enjoy music. It’s true though, that i dedicate my passion of music to God as my offering, and I need to remember that when I do that, it becomes a beautiful thing to God, more than “just a downbeat and a string”. When we participate in the things we enjoy for the glory of God, it pleases him, even if in the moment it seems so simple and small to us. 

The Bible says “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God”(Ephesians 5:2ESV), meaning we are to sacrifice our ways and desires to God, just as Christ did, presenting ourselves and our passions as a “fragrant offering”. Everything Jesus did was for the glory of God the Father and expansion of the kingdom. Likewise, our passions, our gifts, and our activities day to day should be in line with that also.

I am constantly getting tripped up with evaluating myself by human standard, and we all do it. How much money do we make? How big is our home? Do we have a nice car? Why am I not writings songs that “sell”? Why can’t I ever seem to be as good as the next guy? Is my ministry really being effective? The list goes on, and on, and on...

There’s so many questions we can ask ourselves that will instantly give us the mindset of “just a down beat and a string”. Don’t let that happen! Present all you do as an offering to God, commit your passions to Him and your desires, and allow Him to be pleased by your works. 

[scarceblog]

When things aren’t, well...well.

I’m writing today from a perspective of unrest and uneasiness and, to be honest, not from an “It Is Well” standpoint. Of course, that is until I surrender my sense of discomfort in those areas to God. If I sit here and reflect on yesterday, today, and most likely tomorrow’s bumps in the road, I will be hard-pressed to find joy on my own. It’s songs like “It Is Well” that remind me of where that sense of contentment and rest is found. It’s certainly not in myself. 

This song is so good at redirecting the thoughts of discontent in our lives, because it’s so full of scriptural truth. I’m not one to bash artistic license(as long as it’s theology accurate) in song-writing, like many will say about a lot of newer christian tunes. In fact, I write a lot of songs that take a fair amount of artistic liberty, and I love singing along to many of the worship songs released today. However, songs like this, written so literally from direct scriptural passages, are extremely important for us to sing, to know, and to hold on to. This song holds the gospel in the lyrics. 

Verse 1

“When Peace, like a river attendeth my way(Isaiah 66:12), When sorrows like sea billows roll(Psalm 42:7).

Whatever My lot, thou hast taught me to say, “It is well with my soul”(James 1:2-4).”

In Isaiah we read the peace of God referred to as a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream. This is a contrast to the destructive flood we read about in Genesis. This chapter in Isaiah is of hope found in God. 

Psalms 42:7 is taken out of a chapter where the writer is clearly in a low state, where he is experiencing “mortal agony(v10), and acknowledges that God is allowing this to happen, yet he will stand firm in rejoicing.

James 1:2-4 tells us to “consider it pure joy” when we face trials. Why is that? Because perseverance through the trials(same word for temptations) brings us to a greater maturity and understanding of who we are as children of God. With maturity, comes wisdom, which provides practical insight and spiritual discernment. There is joy in that!

Verse 2

“Though Satan should buffet(see note), though trials should come, let this blessed assurance control.

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate(Romans5:6-7), and hath shed His own blood for my soul(Romans5:8).”

1st, let’s look at “buffet”. This isn’t all-you-can eat, this is “buf'-et”, which is to treat with violence, to beat with a fist, or bodily maltreatment. This line can be read “Though Satan may attack, though trials should come....”

Romans 5:6-8 is a passage of hope for all. Despite the attacks of satan and temptations to sin in this world, we have hope and peace in knowing that while we were still sinners, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, shed His blood for our iniquities. 

Verse 3

“My sin, o, the bliss of this glorious though! My sin, not in part, but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, o my soul!(1 Peter 2:24)”

Many verses could be used for this verse, but 1 Peter 2:24 sums it up nicely, I believe. No matter the sin of our past, Christ took it upon himself to pay the price on the cross. This was done so that we may overcome death through the blood of Christ. Praise the Lord! 

Verse 4

“And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight(1 Corinthians 13:12), the clouds be rolled back as a scroll(Mark 14:62).

The trump(not Donald) shall resound, and the Lord shall descend(1 Thessalonians 4:16). Even so, it is well with my soul.”

Paul explains to the Corinthians in 1 Cor 13:12, that until the day the Lord returns, our faith, no matter how great, will never produce for us a clear image of who God truly is. This can only happen in the new creation when the Lord returns. Can any of us deny deny the desire to “haste the day” when that is to happen? Not I! 

Jesus says before the Sanhedrin in Mk 14:62, right before being condemned to death and beaten, ‘You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” The people took it as blasphemy and beat(and ultimately killed) Jesus, but we claim it as truth.

There will be a day when the Lord, at the sound of a trumpet call and the voice of the archangel, will descend from Heaven, and those in Christ shall be with Him! 

[scarceblog]

“I scarce can take it in”

This quote from Stuart K. Hine in his revision of the classic hymn, How Great Thou Art, is the exact reason this blog came to be. If you, like me, have ever thought about the natural beauty of the world, the vastness of the heavens, the depth and breadth of the seas, or even something as deep as the love and grace of God, this phrase is for you.

“I scarce can take it in”, is saying “this is unimaginable”, incomprehensible, or something so awesome, I cannot begin to understand the fullness of it. If I look out the window into the world, this phrase rings true. If I set my thoughts on the power of God, this phrase rings true. If I go out on the waters in my kayak, this phrase rings true. 

This blog is the exploration of the things we cannot imagine or understand. It just so happens, the only way to properly do that is to pursue the eternal, infinite, and unchangeable spirit of God, who is beyond our understanding Himself. This will be fun. 

I’m a musician, a fan of music, and I love a good tune with solid lyrical content. You’ll find that these blog posts will tend to have a musical connection to them. Some posts will have a greater theological dig, and some will be a little lighter. Each post, however, will point towards finding out more about who we are and what our purpose is in this incredible world, which can only point us closer in the direction of God. 

This is not a blog to pursue all knowledge and wisdom. This is a journey of exploring, thinking, sharing, and continually expanding our minds to more clearly see who and whose we are: God’s creation. We all have different interests, skill set, DNA, and ways we operate, but we are all created in the image of God. As we look at ourselves, we will be looking at the creator. As we look at the creator, we’ll be able to apply those thoughts and concepts to our purpose and our mission here.

Here we go. Weekly blog posts beginning now. 

Trevor