Balanced Testimonies

I started to entitle this post Negative Testimonies, but decided that would be undermining the point I hoped to present.

For years I have experienced some frustration and disappointment when I hear people attempting to give God the glory when something good happened to them. The reason for my negative thoughts? Not because I don't like to hear people thanking God for what he has done for them, but because there are many more people who are believers and who have not experienced the same thing.

Here's an example: Say there's a car accident and only some survived and some died. The survivors might be heard to say, "God was with me, and I lived." That kind of statement bothers me. Are we to think that God was not with the ones who died? Hmm...

Another example: Say a woman's husband leaves her and she prays he will return. He does return and she says that God blessed her and had her husband return. Are we to think that a woman whose husband leaves and she prays and he doesn't return that God was not as good to her as He was to the other woman?

Final example: Say a child is ill. The parents pray and the child is healed. God is good. He healed their child. Another couple has an ill child, they are strong believers, they pray and their child dies. Are we to think that God heard one prayer and blessed and heard the other prayers and didn't bless?

These examples and the resulting attempt to give God the glory sometimes seem to me to do more damage than good. Here's what I mean.

What about in the first example having two people speak about the same experience, one about being a survivor and one about losing a loved one. Cannot both say God is good? Cannot both say God blessed them? Isn't that the God we serve?

Here's what I think is the best biblical example: Peter and James were in jail in the book of Acts. Peter was miraculously released. James was beheaded. The story told in Sunday School and in sermons seems to always be about Peter. But, what about James?

Another biblical example: Peter preached on the day of Pentecost and 3,000 souls were saved. God blessed! A few chapters over Stephen preached, maybe much the same sermon, and he was stoned to death by the religious leaders. Did God bless Stephen? Or...what?

What do we do with these two examples?

And a final point I want to make is the entire chapter in Hebrews 11. This chapter is commonly what is called the Hall of Faith Heroes. The summary towards the end of this chapter in the version, The Message, reads: We have stories of those who were stoned, sawed in two, murdered in cold blood; stories of vagrants wandering the earth in animal skins, homeless, friendless, powerless––the world didn't deserve them!––making their way as best they could on the cruel edges of the world. Not one of these people, even though their lives of faith were exemplary, got their hands on what was promised.

So, now what? I think it's great to give God the glory when someone is healed, when someone survives, when someone returns. But wouldn't it be more biblical, more realistic, more accurate, to always have examples of both types when giving God the glory.

When we have someone passionately speak how God has blessed her because her husband returned, wouldn't it be real and honoring to God to have someone just as passionately speak about how good God is good and has blessed her and that her husband didn't return? Same thing with surviving and with healing.

Doesn't the unbalanced type of testimonies of hearing only positive and good things that have happened leave listening people thinking, well God didn't do that for me so He must not love me as much or He would have blessed me like that. My child died. Where was God? My husband divorced me and married a younger woman. Didn't God hear my prayers? Doesn't God love me?

We should always remember and speak of the balanced teachings in scripture. Where did we get that only good things and blessings happen to those whom God loves and cares for. Terribly misleading and wrong teaching. Would we have as many followers and as large churches if we preached balanced truth? Probably not, but we would have true, God-honoring believers, who really make a difference.

Thoughts to ponder. My opinion only.
MB

Good or Evil?

There are three topics I was thinking about addressing in posts on this blog. The first was dishonesty. The second topic was spurred by Wade's blog post, how people say, "God told me," and how they use that. The third was prompted by a comment on this blog by Bobby about negative testimonies. All three of these are topics I like to wax eloquent on, as eloquent as I can be, which is questionable.

I think I'll tackle the first one right now and save the other two for future posts.

I watched Sixty Minutes on CBS last Sunday evening and saw a Miami man interviewed who said he had robbed the government of $20 million in Medicare payments and then he proceeded to tell how he did it. It was scary to realize there is a whole network of groups who cater to people to help them defraud the government in big ways.

Then I was watching the local morning news and saw a report about how large earth moving machines, large tractors and such, are being stolen and resold for a fraction of the cost. A farmer was interviewed and he said his $60,000 machine was stolen and when it was later found, it had been resold for $800. Drug users are usually the culprits.

Then at work I have been bombarded the last six months with spam e-mail. It seems a virus invaded our work intranet/internet via someone's personal download and despite all the firewalls and security, that worm or virus has invaded every part of our system. I daily get about ten spam e-mails telling me I'm eligible to receive millions because of some wonderful thing I have done. One I received yesterday started out saying how bad it is today how people try to scam others, but for sure this is legitimate. Hmmm...

As I was thinking on these, I'm still astounded at how basically evil human beings are. I'm rather Pollyanna-like wanting to believe that if given a chance, human beings are basically good. That's totally anti-scriptural. I know that. But, still...If you really think on this and take it all in and really listen to things going on around us, it would be much wiser for me if I accepted the fact that if given a chance, human beings as a whole are basically selfish and sinful or evil.

And then when I consider all the stuff I know that has gone on in the organized church, not necessarily the local churches I have belonged to but the bigger organizations, I realize that this basic evil bent permeates anything that human beings are a part of.

SO?

Makes a good case for the need of the true gospel. Isn't this what accepting Christ and living the Spirit-filled life is all about? Isn't this what we are saved from? Doesn't our "new nature" or our "default" change to basically good, as evidenced by our love for others instead of self?

So instead of being cynical about the evil of man, I have excitement and great hope that I (we) have the solution, the Person!
Enough to make us jump for joy. YES! Enough to make me want to spread the "good news."

Wonder if anyone will listen? I think they will only if my life causes them to ask me "a reason for the hope that is in me."
My thoughts.
MB

Payback or Freedom?

Can it be? A month ago was my last blog post? Where does the time go?
Lots has happened, but obviously not blog posting. Think I'll write some thoughts today since I'm off work for Columbus Day.

Yesterday at church we had the privilege of being guests in a different Flock than the one where we're members. (Some of my friends chuckle every time I speak of attending Flock on Sunday. That's our church's version of Sunday School. When teased about being members of a Flock, I respond with something like isn't that what sheep are, members of flocks? Anyway...)

Paul was the guest speaker and the absent leader had earlier told Paul he had been addressing how Christians are changed when becoming believers. That is one of Paul's favorite subjects, and he gave a great talk. There were some questions at the end, and it was a great time of meeting new people, of being in a nice home, and of getting to hear the greatest communicator share.

One of the questions that was asked of Paul was how does or did this new-covenant living vs old-covenant living affect your ministry. The reason the question was asked was explained that a pastor acquaintance who had developed some physical problems was convinced that this was God's payback for his teenage sins.

This reminded me of some of my friends who have what they would call "moral" sins in their past and anything bad that happens to them or theirs later is immediately thought of as God's payback.

Where did we get that notion?

I think we got it from the old covenant or many scriptures in the Old Testament. If you will or if my people will...then I will (God speaking). We live by, we hear preached, and we base our Christian beliefs and living on performance based teachings.

Things like if you have a daily quiet time, God will bless you with a "victorious" day. This type of thinking leads to the opposite that if you don't, for some reason, have a quiet time, then bad things will happen. How sad! Or, if you've done some bad things, you will pay for it the rest of your life with guilt and shame.

Where is the freedom that's promised in the new covenant, in the New Testament? "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." Where is the living by the new laws that Christ gave? Love the Lord your God and love your neighbor as yourself and in doing that you will fulfill all the law. Doesn't that just smack of freedom and grace?

I hear comments like yesterday, and I long to "set people free" in the freedom that Christ bought and paid for in full. By accepting his offer of grace and love and freedom, we have changed lives set free to love others.

Isn't that the true Gospel?

Is that our main teaching to new Christians? Or, is it what they need to "do" in order to live out their new life in Christ? No wonder people are not being drawn to our message.
Just some thoughts.
MB

A Memorable Anniversary Today

This morning we got a phone call from Tom, our brother-in-law, who wished Paul a Happy Anniversary.

Paul was puzzled until Tom said twenty-three years ago today you had triple bypass surgery.

That comment brought back a lot of memories. I immediately pulled my daily devotional book that I haven't read for awhile and turned to September 12.

I used to write important events that happened on the devotional page. Sure enough. I verified Tom's phone call info.

Twenty-three years! Unbelievable.

Since then Paul has had another heart attack in 1990, a stroke in 2005, carotid artery surgery in 2008, and knee surgery in 2009.

But for all that fixing of his physical body, that man has a great heart.

I don't know what condition his physical heart is in today (seems great), but his emotional and spiritual heart are quite healthy. I'm extremely grateful that we've had twenty-three years together since that day that was so scary twenty-three years ago. After that and being the obsessive, compulsive person that I am, I made him eat his three oat bran muffins every day. I even packed them in his suitcase for days he was traveling. We ate from the heart healthy recipe book. We did everything by the book for a solid year. At his next annual checkup, his blood work showed that all of our hard work did not one bit of good. His numbers were worse.

I'll never forget Paul's comment after that report: "You mean I've deprived myself of all the foods I love and it did no good?!!"
Needless to say, after that we were much more balanced.

Reality check: Our days and times are in God's hands. To each there is a season, a time to live and a time to die. We're enjoying the time we are given. We are grateful. Life is good and is a wonderful adventure. We're celebrating this anniversary today. Glad someone reminded us what it is. LOL
MB

Listening and Hearing

EXPOSURE


PLUS ACCEPTANCE


EQUALS ENCOURAGEMENT














Years ago I ran across this definition of Encouragement.
Exposure plus Acceptance equals Encouragement!

I was recently part of a group in which people shared with others things that were important to them. I watched and listened as other members of that group quickly jumped in and offered words of advice and fixing words.

Phrases such as "Don't feel bad. You should ..." or "Don't worry about that. Just know that ..." or "I'm sure that will soon pass. Things will be better soon." And on and on.

I checked with two of those who shared and asked them later how the responses to their heartfelt sharing affected them. Both said no, they didn't feel heard, accepted, or encouraged. They felt like others were trying to fix them or make them feel better, and it didn't work.

The same thing happened to me. I answered a question that had been asked, and in context my answer exposed some mistakes I had made. Later two people came up to make sure that I knew that I had done much good, that I shouldn't think bad of myself for my mistakes. Hmmm... I stood there responding politely, but thinking I only answered a question. I wasn't saying my whole life was a failure. I'm not depressed or despondent. Whatever. I certainly did not feel heard or understood but definitely misunderstood and that they thought I needed fixing.

I'm amazed at how often we think it's our job to make sure people don't feel bad, thus totally missing the gift of themselves that they have shared with us.

I want to learn from this. I want to realize and always be alert that when someone is sharing something about themselves that they are sharing a gift with me, a very precious gift. They are exposing their vulnerability. They have opened themselves to me and are letting me share something that's very important to them and about them. Now what do I do?

I hope I can learn to receive that as a precious gift and hold it as very valuable. All I need to do is receive that gift, and in some way that's unique to me and to the one I'm with, show acceptance. Perhaps that just means saying something like, "Thanks for sharing with me." Or, perhaps just give a sincere hug, if appropriate.

I love the saying, perhaps by now a cliché, "People don't care what you know until they know you care." I don't want to 'act like' I care and learn a few 'tricks.' I want to learn to really care and show I care.

What a challenge! Life is a wonderful journey and adventure.
MB

Forgive and Forget, or Forgive and Remember?

The old saying, forgive and forget, has been around a long time.

Is that a good thing? Is that the emotionally healthy thing to do?

I was thinking about this the other day, and I decided that forgive and remember is a better philosophy to live by. Why is that?

In a nutshell: if you forgive and forget, you might not learn all that could be learned from the situation.

But, if you forgive and remember, which is much harder, think of all you can learn.

If I encounter a hurtful situation and forgive the offender but remember, maybe I could learn:
• How not to be an offender in a similar situation
• Figure out why I was hurt by the offense and use it for growth
• Learn how to respond better when being hurt

These thoughts remind of a book I read years ago entitled Don't Waste Your Sorrows. I think that capsules what my thoughts are around this subject.

As I continue my journey through life, I want to forgive and remember. That's a very hard balancing act like walking a high wire. If I start leaning too heavily on the remembering side, I could fall into bitterness. If I start leaning too far on the forgiving side without remembering, I could fall into being gullible and deceived.

Isn't life a wonderful adventure? Learning and growing that keeps going, kind of like the pink bunny.
MB

Grandson Logan

Isn't this a great picture?

Logan, one of our seven grandsons, has spent several weeks in Peru on a mission trip. He's heading home tonight.

Friends and relatives could follow the trip by reading the leaders' posts on a blog site, see pictures taken during each day, and then could write comments, which were read to the team each evening as they gathered.

This picture is one of the pictures that was posted.

I was quite taken with this picture. We see and hear so much about teens doing crazy and odd things and not being very serious about life or their faith. I thought this picture really captured a teen's heart and actions, at least for this day and this moment.

A comparable picture could probably be taken of any and all teens at a particular time or moment in their life, but this happened to be of Logan and proud Grams wanted to share.
MB