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The past three weeks, or so, Jason and I have been participating in a Bible Study with a couple of other guys on the study of Genesis. We all think that we know the story of Genesis. Creation, forbidden fruit, murder, arks...and so on.
However, I've learned in just the brief time we've been doing this that the book of Genesis is so much more. We discussed last night how much of what we see in Genesis is prophecy of what we will see throughout the rest of the Bible. Much of it confirms what we believe and why we believe, as Christians, what we do. To me, that serves as encouragement in all of our walks. The idea that this type of proof exists all the way back to Day 1. (This topic can be a whole blog in and of itself.)
We're also very familiar, unfortunately, with the condition of sin. I realize that I, as well as other guys, have made jokes in the past blaming Eve for taking the fruit. When in reality it is clear that we're all guilty. To take it a step further, though, Adam was the man and he should have acted accordingly. We've been taught and have read that the sin of Adam and Eve caused Man to be thrown out of the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve also received curses in various aspects of life such as cultivation of the ground and childbirth. But I ask, do you know what else we lost on that day? I believe, on that day, that we lost the most valuable thing of all.
We lost "The Cool Of The Day".
What does that even mean? Genesis 3:8 tells us about the actions of God and the interaction He had with his creation.
8They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
You see, God walked through the Garden in the "cool of the day" to speak with Adam and Eve. He literally walked through the Garden and spoke with Adam and Eve. How incredible is that? The Word of God is so amazing in the way that it is living and active. How many times have you read that phrase before and glossed over it? I have...too many times to count.
God did this on a daily basis. He would walk in the Garden and speak with Adam and Eve. Face to face. I began, in the middle of Bible Study, to get overwhelmed just thinking of this picture. I began to think about how it would be to get in my car in the afternoon to drive home, or take a daily walk through the city and literally have God Almighty standing beside me and talking with me.
Sure, we have prayer. But that's not what I'm talking about here. I'm talking about the blessing of a conversation with the Lord as you and I would have with our best friend, or with a family member. I guess it all goes back to the faith we have and our belief in things unseen. Because I cannot see God, and cannot have the relationship with Him like Adam originally had doesn't mean that He is any less real to me.
I spoke up in Bible Study that night and expressed those sentiments.
"How incredible would it be to have that kind of talk with God?" I said.
To which Jason responds, "Someday you will, bud. Someday you will."
Indeed. Someday I will.
-Will
I've continued to do some research on my previous blog post and found this video particularly interesting for those of you that want more info... pay particular attention to what Ravi Zacharias has to say about this movement (the white haired gentleman)
Speaking with Jason the other day, I told him my next blog post was going to center around reverence in Christianity today.
Funny how your plan can completely change within about 24 hours, isn't it?
For those of you that don't know...I grew up a PK. Yes, a preacher's kid. I accepted Christ as my Savior and Lord at the age of 9. I am now 27 and I am still seeking Him. It hasn't always been easy. There are things in my life that I've wonder why God has allowed them to happen. At the same time, there are a lot of things that He has blessed me with that I don't deserve.
I was taught, since I was a child, that you have to make your own decisions in this life. You are responsible for your actions and your beliefs. I was also taught that it is okay to ask questions.
I have felt led by God, recently, to start asking more questions. I haven't done this enough. I've been guilty of accepting certain people and certain belief systems at face value just because it looks like Christianity or preaches a word (note: not The Word) that sounds like The Gospel.
I know I'm not alone.
Recently, on vacation, I picked up a copy of "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell. It was recommended to me. I spoke with my brother a few days later and told him that I was going to read it. He seemed intrigued that I wanted to read it, and told me that he wanted to talk with me when I was done. I read it with a discerning heart. Little did I know what that little book would open my mind to over the next few weeks.
The emerging church.
Today, it got worse. Over the past few hours, I have read and watched some really scary displays in the name of Christ. What has me so frustrated? Here is what I've learned so far:
- The emerging church believes that the modern church is no longer "relevant", and the emerging church strives to be "relevant" in today's society.
- Some versions of the emerging church have difficulty in proclaiming the Bible as the "infallible word of God"
- The emerging church does not stand up well to criticism attacks anyone that finds fault with it.
- Some versions of the emerging church do in fact deal with the "prosperity gospel" and like to describe themselves as "seeker-friendly."
- The emerging church seems to place a very high priority on "entertainment worship".
Let me be clear...these are the things I've learned so far in my investigations into the movement that is the emerging church. I'm still asking questions about it and trying to see where all of this is going. However, I can tell you with certainty that this scares me. It scares me for those people that won't ask questions. It scares me for those people that may get hurt by a movement of this type. It scares me when I see things like this, done in the name of Christ:
It also scares me when I see "pastors" attacking others and using devisive language from the pulpit. This very same man used the word "jackass" to describe people that want to go "deeper" in their relationship with God. Seriously.
I certainly don't want you to take what I'm saying at face value, just as I don't want you taking anything at face value. Ask questions. Does your church believe what you believe? Are you sure? Is your church based on the "infallible word of God?" As Paul tells Timothy...
1I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:
2preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,
4and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
5But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
(2 Timothy 4: 1-5)
In conclusion, John MacArthur, one of my favorite writers ever, has written a book on this topic, which I intend to read immediately. It is called "The Truth War" I'm going to continue asking questions...are you willing to start asking too
-Will
There were two things earlier this month that really got my blood boiling. A good, rolling boil ... not just some bubbles at the bottom of the pot. A let's-do-something-about-it boil. So let's see what Christmas lights are out on memory lane, shall we?
Exhibit A: My wife and I were watching TV one evening, and saw that eBay currently has an ad campaign running that discusses the merit of putting thought into holiday gifts. In the TV spot that we'll discuss, the actor's grandmother knitted and gifted him a pair of socks, to which he promptly (and ungratefully) turns up his nose. He wants a snowmobile, see ... because they're very much the same thing, in the same price range (particularly when purchased via a service that nearly universally requires shipping) and best left up to septuagenarians to select. But I digress.
After the requisite look at the eBay logo and some other plugs, the actor reappears to sniff the socks before turning his nose up and proclaiming, "Smells like church."
:: record scratch sound effect ::
:: blood pressure soars ::
I looked at Allison and said, "Really?" in a rather incredulous tone of voice. "What does church smell like, exactly?" I asked next. (I still haven't figured that out, but surmise it smells a lot better than most of my socks.) More on this in a bit. Moving along...
Exhibit B: (obligatory spoiler alert) the Christmas episode of NBC's popular The Office had a storyline where homely Phyllis was granted permission by Jim to be Santa this year instead of Michael during the office party. Miffed, Michael turns his Santa outfit inside out and - voila! - becomes Jesus, albeit sulking, brooding, insulting Jesus who Michael later blames for "ruining" the office's Christmas, though the actions were his own.
Exhibit A made me pretty indignant, which Exhibit B felt more like a personal insult. Not because I'm a big Office devotee (I'm not) but because of the very public lack of respect for something so sacred, something I hold so dear right there in front of me, in my home. (Though it's by no means the first example of such a thing on Earth.)
A case could probably be made that I'm making more of this stuff than I ought and being too uptight, etc. Perhaps. And after thinking about it in past weeks, I think the eBay commercial is open for interpretation. (Do only old people go to church?) While I don't really know what they were going for there, I do know that they've since taken that part out of the spots. So if it wasn't intentionally insulting, even in a backhanded way, why remove it?
On, finally, to the point of this post. It often feels that "the world" is becoming increasingly antagonistic to Christianity. These two things, especially together, made me angry. It doesn't get more mainstream than eBay and The Office, does it? I wanted to make Facebook posts, swear off eBay, and in effect stick up for a God who really doesn't need me to do anything of the sort for Him. (In the interests of full disclosure, I'm pretty sure I knew that any action would be to make Jason feel better, not God.)
Sure, it hurts when people insult your core beliefs. But as my pastor has said before, quoting Ecclesiastes, "There's nothing new under the sun." We've seen it all before. God most certainly has. Why was I surprised? These were just two more examples of the unbelieving world being and acting like ... the unbelieving world.
The more more I thought about it, they do a whole lot less harm than believers who act like the unbelieving world. It's true. I needed to be self-examining, not getting angry at people who know no better. And so I thought back on things I've done (and do) that hurt my witness. Using this word or that at work. Talking about this or that at work. Things I do behind the wheel of a car. (Stressful commute or not, there's no place for it.) I was broken. Seriously broken, humbled, and shamed.
My point here is that we're nuts to get upset when the world acts like the world. instead, do WE do that insults our Lord? What do we do that makes "the world" want nothing to do with Him? Forget about whether they want anything to do with us (namely, whether people want to visit our church). We must live in a way that shows God's love and peace to them in the midst of the turbulence raging in the uncaring world! This was Jesus' charge to us as He ascended to Heaven. We can't take it seriously enough.
Take that to Facebook instead.
Jason
Just a quick-hit thought as I was sitting here at work:
It has been a long week, and I commented to a co-worker that it felt more like Friday today than Thursday. Or perhaps that was just wishful thinking.
But whatever the case might be, it's foolish (and wrong) for us to sit at work and pine away for Friday. We're not promised Friday, but God has generously given us Thursday. There's plenty we can do to serve him today instead of waiting for tomorrow to get here.
We all wonder what "tomorrow" has in store for us. We hope, we dream, we plan. But I've always found that when I concern myself with what's in front of me, God always takes care of tomorrow.
Be blessed TODAY.
Jason
Lately I've been reading the book "Walking From East To West: God In The Shadows" by Ravi Zacharias. Last night I came across this illustration in his book, it is a story that touched his life and now I realize why. I haven't stopped thinking about it since I read it and I hope somehow it touches you. Here's the excerpt from the book.
"A wealthy man walked into a village one day seeking to buy up all the homes. One by one, the villagers sold their houses to this man for a good price, except for a poor fellow who lived in the middle of the town. He simply wasn't willing to part with his home. The wealthy man offered a generous amount, but the poor man said no. Finally the rich man said, 'Name your price. I'll give you whatever you want, because then I'll own the whole village.'
'I don't want to sell to you,' the poor man said. 'I'm happy where I am, and this is where I want to stay.' He continued to stand his ground, much to the wealthy man's disenchantment.
A few days passed and the rich man was seeing strolling through town with his friends, showing them the village. When the poor man heard about it, he stopped one of the wealthy man's friends and took him aside. 'Is this man telling you that he owns the whole village?' he asked. 'Don't believe him! The ground you're standing on still belongs to me.'"
The speaker went on to explain the story: "I believe the enemy of our souls must taunt God the way this poor man taunted the rich one. You see, if there is any part of our lives that we haven't turned over to Christ, the devil reminds him. 'No, that one isn't totally yours. I still have this patch of ground here.'"
"Jesus is totally committed to us. And until we learn to be totally surrendered to him, we'll never find the joy of what it means to fully belong to him. That is the key to every believer's life--full ownership by Christ. Everything we are and want to be belongs to him."
-Will
We'll go ahead and assume that Jason is Reject #1 since he was the first to get married off. Now he has a compadre in the life of a married man. Congratulations to the newly engaged Reject #2. Better known to everyone else as Chris.
Chris is marrying an incredible woman named Allison. (Yes, we've gained another Allison, and are better for it!) So on behalf of Reject #1 and myself, here's a big congratulations to the engaged couple.
Good luck Allison, you have your work cut out for you :)
-Will
When I joined in with Jason and Chris to write this blog I wanted to be able to share with you guys some of the lesser known characters in the Bible and some of the really incredible things we can learn from them. I first thought about Jonathan, the son of Saul, but as I continued through my study I happened upon Josiah. At that moment, I knew that Josiah was the one I wanted to share with you first. (I'll get back to Jonathan later...which is a great story in its own right)
For those of you that aren't aware of Josiah...(I knew very little about him previously)...he was the last good king of Judah and reigned about 600 years before Christ. Josiah was preceded by two kings who lacked greatly in character including his father that "did evil in the eyes of the Lord" and his grandfather, who murdered his own children and participated in the dark arts.
So it is obvious that Judah was in a very difficult place at this time...they had been away from the Lord for so long when Josiah took over as King. Somehow, despite his upbringing, Josiah loved the Lord. Josiah did all he could to restore Judah to being a group of God fearing people. Josiah was determined to be different from his father and grandfather and serve the Lord.
Unfortunately for Josiah his reforms were not supported by kings after him and Judah was set to face judgement.
I encourage you to read Josiah's story...because even though God considered him blameless in the fall of Judah, I think we can learn two powerful lessons from this great man.
1. Your past does not define who you are, or who you will be.
2. God calls us to be faithful, not necessarily successful.
Let's start with the first. I cannot tell you how many times the enemy has used my past against me. I'm certain at some point in your life he has done the same to you. I would encourage you to look at Josiah though. This is a man that was brought up in horrible circumstances by a father and a grandfather that turned their backs on the Lord. Josia, though, was determined to be his own man and to serve the Lord with all of his heart, mind, and soul. If you allow the enemy to cripple you and tell you his lies, you might never be able to serve the Lord as fully as He intends. The enemy will tell you that you aren't good enough to be a leader, you aren't qualified to do that mission trip, you don't have enough knowledge to lead that Bible study, or he will tell you any number of lies to disable you from doing what God has called you. Please guys...don't let it happen to you.
As for the second part...this is tough for a lot of us. As men, we are all competitive. We want to win. Truth is...Josiah didn't win. Josiah didn't succeed. The kings that came after him reverted everything back to the way it was before...away from God. Josiah was told by a prophetess that this would happen before he even ended his reign as king. Did he give up? No. He continued reforming Judah and trying to point them back to God even when he knew that it wouldn't make a difference in the end. The people of Judah would return to their evil ways. That's the tough part. Josiah knew the end...but he still loved the Lord enough to be faithful in a difficult situation. I pray that He will give me the patience, strength and faith to be faithful even when I may not be successful. Because if it is His will...it is perfect, and there must be a reason I'm called to do it. I refuse to believe otherwise.
I'm encouraged by Josiah. I know that my past, whatever it may be, doesn't define me...and I cannot let the enemy use it as a foothold. And I know that while I may not always be successful, if I am faithful to God's words, then my Savior will be pleased with me.
-Will
So like Will, I have missed a month on the blog. I’m rather embarrassed given the fact that my last post was ‘stop talking, start doing.’ I’ve had the idea for the post probably for three weeks now, yet haven’t gotten around to it. But when Will made his post last week, I knew I couldn’t wait any longer because this subject is a great follow up.
I should start with a little recent history on me. When I moved back to Greenville four years ago from Columbia, I moved back because there was an opportunity in my father’s company I wanted to take advantage of. He and his partner are homebuilders with a staff of two superintendents. One of their superintendents was going out on his own and my Dad asked me if I wanted that spot – and I accepted. It was a tremendous opportunity; I’ve always wanted to be a builder. If I were to start my own company, my business training would cover me in that area but I lacked in the operations component. This career has really prepared me for homebuilding – one day.
Fast forward three and a half years. The market grows ever tightening. I’ve already passed my builder’s license examination and would be building already, but there’s no business to be had. RCB (our company) is coming closer and closer to a halt. I see the writing on the wall and begin researching other job opportunities. Well RCB beats me to the punch. After a difficult conversation mid December, I’m out of work January 1. There were no hard feelings – neither partner had been taking a regular salary for quite some time and the other superintendent was more experienced and more qualified. I wish them the best, they had no alternative.
So where does that leave me? Dealing with the unemployment office and looking for work. I’m a guy that needs work. I need it for the obvious financial reasons but I also need it because I hate having nothing to do. And I’ll be honest, despite no real bites in my job search and dealing with the incredibly inefficient South Carolina unemployment services I still felt God watching over me. I knew He would take care of me, but that wasn’t giving me peace.
That was January. In March, my faith had taken a bit of a hit. Its not that I didn’t trust God, but that I was feeling deflated. I had three second interviews by the start of March, with none of them materializing. It was kind of flattering when each employer said they had a range of between 100-250 applicants. But I kept getting that close. I kept preparing for days before my interviews going over every possible interview question I could think of and all the reasons I would be a great addition to their team. But I failed. And I was starting to become bitter and cynical.
Its not that I didn’t understand the large labor force for a sparse job market; I get that. But this job was something I needed. I was nothing without a job. I wasn’t working five days a week, I wasn’t making any money – I found myself to be worthless. But I was wrong.
In my last post I referenced a book my Bible Study is ready, “One Month to Live,” and I really want to get into it deeper at a later point. The book is written by a preacher and he says in the opening that of all the hundreds of people he has been with towards the end of their life, not one has lamented if only they made one more sales call. If only they had spent a few more days at work. Of course they didn’t, because what is important in life is relationships.
I found this peace within myself mid March. And it changed my life. Yes I needed money. Yes I need something productive for my days. But a job is only that; a job. Now whether you love your job, or you’re riding it out until something better comes along remember that it is only a job. My faith, my family, my friends – those are the constants in my life. If I am Chris Foy, Garbage Man or Chris Foy, President those three constants will remain. I am the same person with a great job, with a mediocre job, or with no job.
Please let me be clear. Jobs are important. But look at what Will went through in April and what I’ve been through since January. Will I’m sure would gladly trade his struggles for mine. Because what I’ve been through, while stressful, is insignificant in the big picture. God gets us through all struggles big and small. With that said, its easy when caught up in the moment to lose perspective. If I had to forgo work for three years in a deal with God that all my loved ones would live healthy and enriching lives, I would do it without hesitation. And I’m glad I now see this struggle from that mindset. Because even though I was in the middle of my ’40 days,’ I was blessed well beyond my deserving.
Well on April 3rd, day 41 came for me. I am happy to report that I am now the Manager of Accounting and Administration for Foreign Translations, Inc. a great company downtown Greenville. But it is just a job. And as much as I love it, I must keep developing and growing the relationships in those three constants: faith family and friends. Because that is what’s truly important in life.
--Chris
"Father please forgive me, for I cannot compose the fear that lives within me, or the rate at which it grows."
-What If I Stumble, DC Talk
In a perfect world, it wouldn't have taken me four weeks to post another blog. If I hadn't explained it to my fellow keepers of the blog they would have thought that I made one post, became bored with the whole blog idea and quit.
The truth is, the month of April was a difficult month. I'm not going to get into too many specifics, but I want to speak about a crippling emotion in our lives, whether we as men will ever admit it or not.
Fear.
The above quote has pretty much been my prayer to God for the past four weeks. As men, we are programmed to be brave. Nothing bothers us...we fear nothing, we will take on anything thrown at us, we can handle it. We can "man-up." Sound about right to you?
The past month has been an incredible learning experience for me, I don't relish going through it...but I'm grateful for how much closer it has brought me to God and the things he decided to teach me. I guess you can say it started around April 1st when it fully sunk in that I was going to undergo a procedure to correct a torn ACL. I'm not a big fan of doctors or medical procedures, so naturally I started getting nervous and throwing up all of these ideas of things that could go wrong.
I'm ashamed to admit it...but at times during those few days I didn't trust God. I sat down the night before the surgery and read three chapters in Psalms that I would recommend to you. Everyone's "go to" Psalm when they are on edge, Psalm 23. After that, I dove into Psalm 51 and then Psalm 91. (Take some time later to look up Sonicflood's song "Psalm 91" then you'll understand a little better God's protection.
Incredibly long story...short, I made it through just fine and have everyone's prayers, along with God to thank for that.
A few days later, something else occurred which didn't effect me directly, but someone close to me. The situation was tough, and truthfully I was frightened. Now that I think about it, I believe God was telling me...
I brought you through your last fear. Will you trust me that I will bring you through this one?
I froze. I found myself engulfed in worry. I thought, by worrying, I was actually doing something. I wasn't. You see, worry is not biblical. Worry is not of God. What could I do though? Pray.
Over the next couple of weeks I was praying like crazy. God was drawing me closer and continued to remind me His will is perfect. He knew what was going on and he had a reason why it was happening. I, then, remembered a sermon I heard just a few months earlier by Dave Edwards called "Chapter 40"
If you want to hear this sermon please get in touch with me...I will be more than happy to make sure you receive this incredible blessing of God's word.
Chapter 40 is based on Genesis 40 where Joseph is imprisioned for a crime he did not commit. Joseph doesn't know why he's there and is doing everything he can to get out. Dave explains that Chapter 40 comes in all of our lives. Chapter 40 is a time of confinement where God is trying to teach us something that we need for the next part of our lives. Although it is a difficult time to go through, Chapter 40 isn't a punishment. God is not condemning us. It is a time of shaping, molding and teaching. The thing to remember, though, is that Chapter 41 always comes. In Chapter 41, Joseph meets Pharaoh and is put second in command over everything. God was preparing Joseph for the next step in his life.
I do feel like I've recently gone through a Chapter 40 in my life, and I know that at some point you will too. God is telling us, I believe, in these times...
I have you here for a reason...can you trust me? Are you willing to live here in this Chapter 40 until I am ready to pull you out?
Pretty heavy stuff, and yes...it can bring about a lot of fear. God will handle that, if you let Him and realize that He has the control. You have no control.
Chapter 41 always comes. I'm going to finish out this post the way Dave finished out his sermon that night...with the promises of God. I hope you feel God's presence in it the way I did that night.
"When the earth came under judgement by flood for 40 days and 40 nights, on the 41st day the covenant of peace hung in the sky because for every 40 there is a 41.
Isreal wonders in the desert for 40 years and on the 41st year a new generation had risen up to take possession of the promised land symbolic of the will of God, because for every 40 there is a 41.
Goliath stood against Isreal for 40 days and 40 nights and on the 41st day a little boy named David shows up and kills him with one shot because for every 40 there is a 41.
And Jesus the son of God goes into the desert for 40 days and 40 nights to do hand to hand combat with the enemy himself and on the 41st day he emerges The Victor, because for every 40 there is a 41.
And Jesus dies on the cross and three days later rises and for 40 days and he appears to more than 500 people and by the 41st day he has ascended to take his rightful place at the right hand of God, because for every 40 there is a 41."
41 will come.
-Will
