"Touching up" Jesus' image

 

You have to see it believe it: an elderly lady in Spain became concerned about how a 19^th century painting of Jesus in her church was becoming more and more worn out, with paint peeling away in places. Her solution? Take a brush and pallet in hand and fix it up herself. You can see the “results.” It’s uncertain whether the art can ultimately be repaired from the attempted repair. The irony: according to news reports, the granddaughter of the artist had already given money to the church for a professional restoration; the would-be Rembrandt was unaware of it.

There’s spiritual lesson here. How many times have we worried about how to present Jesus to others, through our words or lives—or conversely, given it no thought at all—and wound up “touching up” His image to others? We like to think that only cults are good at giving people “another Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:4; cf. Galatians 1:9). But when we “touch up” Jesus’ image with manmade rules and traditions, or focus only on one aspect of our Lord Jesus that gives an imbalanced view, we could well be giving others around us a very distorted image of Him that tops even the botched painting “restoration.”

One key to avoiding this: have Paul’s hunger of wanting to know Jesus more each day: “…that I may know Him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death… (Philippians 3:10, ESV). By spending time with Jesus each day in the Word and prayer—however we practice this—we will be sure to give others around us an untainted image that will draw them to Him.

Discussion link of the week: “5 Things God Never Said”

Just wanted to get some of your feedback on this article at ChurchLeaders.com, “5 Things God Never Said.” I found the article thought-provoking. You may not agree with everything R. Larry Moyer says in the article, but it should prompt us to examine whether popularly held beliefs in our churches are biblically based, or are merely traditions or misconceptions we only thought were in the Bible. Give the article a read and let me know what you think.

Thank God for in-your-face atheists!

To all the “in your face” atheists, the militants who want to erase God from every mention in our society, to the likes of Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins, I have one message:

Thank you God!

So why would a Christian be thankful for this pushy atheism crowd, the ones who look at the wonder of our creation and somehow conclude that nothing in the way of an intelligent being could ever be behind it all, and who like, at a recent “reason rally” in Washington, bellowed vitriol that would make the most bellicose podium-pounding fundamentalist or jihadist blush with embarrassment?

The negativity. That’s the point.

Now, in-your-face atheists, unlike the armchair variety or others who have sincere questions about the supernatural, believe they have to force feed their “reason” down the throats of the rest of us. Even Dawkins, after claiming he doesn’t despise the religious crowd, later encouraged his followers at the “reason rally”: “Mock them! Ridicule them in public!” Now THAT’s enlightened, reasoned debate for you!

            Let’s look at the bigger picture: the many people around you, hurting and struggling, looking for meaning in this life, deep down knowing there is something more than their day-to-day existence, that they are more than glorified animals living in a randomly-produced universe. Who do you think they would be more inclined to turn to? Someone shouting they are living a pointless existence with no real purpose except to survive? Or someone who shows them in love the exact opposite: that there IS a God who made them with a special purpose, who loves them so much that He sent His only Son so they can experience real life here and afterwards, who is always there for them? Believe me, it makes presenting the truth of salvation through Jesus SO much easier! If THAT isn’t reason to thank God for militant atheists, what is?

Of course, I want these same atheists to turn their hearts over to Jesus. I care for them too. As these “freethinkers” are fond of saying, ignorance is not a virtue—and that includes ignorance of spiritual reality. It never ceases to amaze me that the same atheists who discount the Bible as a collection of fairy tales will in the same breath quote from that same book to make their (non)-point.

So as the Bible (that same book that, unlike the “fairy tale” collections it is ignorantly compared to, is banned in 52 countries) says, “Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, KJV). So let’s keep praying for the salvation of militant (and other kinds of) atheists. And say “thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to God for them!

Stunner of the week: UN wants prostitution legalized

Read this story from CNSNews.com--and ask yourself why we shouldn't ask the UN to locate somewhere else (and while we're at it, stop our government from sending this international joke our money). Let's see how feminist groups will respond to THIS proposed exploitation of women.

Congressman wants U.S. schools turned to Muslim madrassas: ACLU, where are you?

O where o where is the ACLU? O where o where can it be? Try muttering a prayer to Jesus at a high school football game, and a team of their lawyers are penning threatening lawsuit letters and heading to the courthouse with an armful of injunctions to stop this “mingling of church and state.”

But what about when it’s Islam involved? Never is heard a discouraging word from the high and mighty defenders of “civil liberties” and their allies in Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Check this article out, with video included, where a US congressman from Indiana openly admits he and his wife are pushing Muslim based education into the public schools in Indianapolis.

Let’s see the “defenders of liberty” jump to the front of THIS battle (personally, I’m not holding my breath).

Obamacare: do your homework NOW

With the Supreme Court's atrocious ruling upholding President Obama's "health care" law (which will wind up providing neither), it's past time to get educated about what we face--unless Obama and his henchmen are thrown out of office in November.
Here's an excellent overview of Chief Justice John Robert's stupefying "reasoning" to justify his pivotal decision, from The Wall Street Journal.

Coming trends, based on what is happening now under the UK's National Health Service: doctors purposely ending elderly lives to free up hospital beds, and bureaucrats banning life-extending cancer drugs available in other countries.

Numerous links on what we face under Obamacare can be found at Joel Rosenberg's blog.

Seeking silence before God

Psalm 46:10: Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. (KJV)

In stillness and simplicity
In the silence of the heart I see
The mystery of eternity
Who lives in side of me
In stillness and simplicity
I hear the Spirit's silent plea
That You, oh Lord, are close to me
In stillness and simplicity
You're the Word Who must be heard
By those who listen quietly
Is the reason we're not still
To hear You speak because
We don't believe You will
In stillness and simplicity
I lose myself in finding Thee
Oh Lord, You mean so much to me
In stillness and simplicity
So, seek the One who dwells in you
The kingdom that within is true
That innermost reality
In stillness and simplicity

When I thought about this verse during the morning service, this song from Michael Card came to mind. Now I’m aware that this verse, in context, is God telling the nations opposed to Israel to, as Smith’s Literal Translation says, “Desist, and know that I am God …” Still, does not God also speak this to our hearts, to the thoughts, desires and noise that constantly war for our attention? Many Christians miss the “stillness and simplicity” with the constant noise to which we subject ourselves.

A recently-published book talks about how constant, excessive noise endangers our health—and how even several European cities are trying to deal with this problem. I also wonder if the constant noise we as believers experience each day—even in churches—in the same way harm our spiritual life. I’m not at all against loud music in church or using different media to proclaim God’s Word. But when are we taught to simply come before God in silence, in a place where we can escape the noise and distractions (outside the Catholic and Orthodox traditions)? And while I’m aware that distracting thoughts will come our way while we spend time in this silence, I believe that standing on the verse above, and speaking it to those distracting thoughts, will bring us back to “stillness and simplicity.” Even using recited prayer in this instance can help us.

I’m reminded of Peter receiving that life-changing vision in Acts 10:10. I could not picture him going into that trance without being in a place of quietness before God. And we see Jesus responding to Nathanael’s time of quietness in John 1:48: “…Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.” The fig tree was a place for Jews to escape the noise and distractions of their house, to pray and meditate. Jesus told Nathanael He saw him there—and I believe Jesus’ special presence await us there, “in stillness and simplicity.”