This week, a few Muslim terrorists executed a multi-site attack in Paris, killing over 120 innocent victims, leaving many more injured and countless numbers without family members. When something like that happens, it causes a dark cloud to grow over the entire globe. Many swear solidarity with those attacked. Some show their displeasure on social media, filtering their own image through the colors of the flag representing the attacked nation. But no matter how stiff our upper lip appears to be, the terrorists have done their work. And when you consider that the same attacks can be carried out anywhere at any time... and likely will be, hopelessness can easily set in. We all stand with the victims, partly because we realize we are all victims. In the middle of this, the Church appears to be losing steam. Many are leaving Christianity, becoming those with no religion, or even joining other religions... including the historically bloody Islam. Darkness certainly seems to be winning. But no matter how dark the night, it is always a prelude to the dawn. God is not done. God did not create the Church in order to abandon the Church. The Church is strong. While the size of the flame is diminishing as people leave for other things, the intensity of the Gospel is as strong as it was Resurrection Morning. We have hope... not only that God is faithfully watching events unfold, but that He is bringing all things to their proper end. Here is what the Psalmist wrote... Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Give to the Lord glory and strength. Give to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns; The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously.” Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the Lord. For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with His truth. (Psalm 96 - New King James Version) Do you see how this psalm gives worship to God, and at the same time a warning to other gods and those who follow them? We see at least five things about God in this passage. We must remember these things in the middle of the night. There is one true God. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the God of the Bible. He is the God of Christianity. There are other so-called gods, but He is over them. He is over everything. God is over nature because He created it. He is over man because He created us. He is over events because He inhabits and rules over eternity. He will save. We have lost our way. But there is salvation in God because He has made a way for us to be restored to the place He intended. He has done everything necessary to offer redemption and transformation. He is to be worshiped. Because of all that we know about God, we should worship Him. He is the only God. He is over everything. He offers us salvation. Why wouldn't we praise Him? Regardless of our circumstances, these truths can anchor us to the reality that God deserves our greatest attention, adoration, and appreciation. He will judge.The night will not win. It will not last forever. It will not even slink off quietly. The darkness will be judged by the God who is true, over everything, offers salvation, and will ultimately be recognized as worthy of worship for everyone. For some, this will mean eternal separation from God, while for others it will mean the eternal presence of God. Today, glory in the truth of this psalm. Notice that the worship does not come after the realization that God will judge. The judgment comes after everyone has had the opportunity to see and experience the wonderful nature of God. Judgment will come with the morning. Endure the night in the protection of God, and see His glory manifested throughout the world. The other night I walked into a room and a friend said, "Are you stirring things up again?" I actually get that a lot... though I'm not sure why. I began thinking about what it means to stir something up. Three things immediately came to mind. I am dealing with them in three devotionals. A couple of days ago I looked at stirring the poop. When we dig up mess in ourselves or other people, it just stinks to high Heaven. Yesterday I dove into the idea of stirring the potpourri, or stirring up love and good works in those around you. Today I want to look at what it means to Stir The Pot. Now, when I say, Stir the Pot... I don't mean in a bad way... but in a good way. And I don't mean in others... When God created you, He implanted gifts and talents in you. Everyone has been gifted by God. Sometimes the wonderful things God planted inside of us are not easily seen. This is primarily due to the effects of sin, either the sin curse passed down through humanity, or the specific sins of individuals. Regardless, know that everyone is a pot full of blessed gifts from God. God is cooking something in you, in me, in everyone. It is in this context that I say we should stir the pot. It would be nice if we continually flowed in the gifts and talents we received from our Creator. But the fact is, we don't... even as Christians. So there are times when you have to 'stir it up.' The apostle Paul once wrote to a young minister named Timothy... "I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:3-7 New King James Version) Your soul is like a pot of stew. Sometimes if we leave the pot to sit, the stew doesn't develop like it should. But if you will stir it up, you will start to see the various elements, and the meal will become what it should be. There are some great things that have been handed down to you through others, and even uniquely given to you by God. We all stir things up. Sometimes we stir the poop, messing around with things we should leave alone. Other times we stir the potpourri, releasing a beautiful fragrance of love and good works in other people. But sometimes we need to focus on stirring up the gift of God inside of ourselves. This is done through prayer, Bible reading, acts of service, accountability relationships, and genuine introspection, allowing the Holy Spirit to highlight things in your life and then you working on them. Today, stir the pot. Stir up the gift inside of you. This will help you stir the potpourri, and help you avoid stirring the poop. The other night I walked into a room and a friend said, "Are you stirring things up again?" I actually get that a lot... though I'm not sure why. I began thinking about what it means to stir something up. Three things immediately came to mind. I am dealing with them in three devotionals. Yesterday I looked at stirring the poop. When we dig up mess in ourselves or other people, it just stinks to high Heaven. Today I want to look at what it means to Stir The Potpourri. Potpourri is a collection of dried, naturally fragrant plant material. People often have a bowl of potpourri in a room. When stirred, the aroma is released into the air. Other times potpourri is in a sachet made of mesh or sheer fabric. This is quite the change from yesterday's concept. This is about stirring up good things in people. When we dig around to release the good in others, good is released for the benefit of everyone. The writer of Hebrews says, "Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works." (Hebrews 10:24 - New King James Version) Now that is something to stir up... love and good works. Imagine if instead of stirring up drama on Facebook, we stirred up love and good works? How different would your day be if I didn't dig up junk about you in order to hurt you? How different would our relationship be? You cannot stir up something that isn't there. Love is there. Good works are there. They just need to be stirred up. Sometimes love doesn't bloom, not because a person does not want to love, but because love has grown dead or dried up. Sometimes people are slow to engage in good works because they have been burned and don't want to risk it. You will often find potpourri in places that need a shot of freshness. It is not unusual to find bowls of potpourri in bathrooms, offices, or on a kitchen shelf. When needed, a swift stir can change stale or stinky air into a whole new feel. This devotional is a call to move around in the heart of another person in order to release the good things invested by God. Today, stir up love in someone and watch their day change. Stir up good works and watch someone else's life change. This is a great time of year for potpourri. The world stinks in so many ways. But during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, a little love and good works can go a long way to changing the air. Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. Last night I walked into a room and a friend said, "Are you stirring things up again?" I actually get that a lot... though I'm not sure why. I began thinking about what it means to stir something up. Three things immediately came to mind. I will deal with them in three devotionals. Now, I will warn you... part of this is going to be gross, even if it is worth it. (You've been warned.) Everyone is stirring something. The question is... "What are you stirring up?" Stirring The Poop. Yep... that's gross. But it is also likely effective. You can walk by a pile of dog poop that has been there for a couple of days and not smell it. But if you grab a stick and start messing around with it, the aroma starts to rise into your nostrils. Apparently, if you leave it alone, a crust forms around the mess and locks in the majority of the odor. But when you break that crust, all sorts of foul things are released. Some people spend their time stirring poop. Then they wonder why their life stinks. Now honestly, stirring poop is interesting, and even funny if you are a kid... okay... even if you are an adult. There is something about stirring poop that draws certain types of people in to watch or even participate. I know this because I have seen kids do it in the yard, and I've seen adults do it in social media. Some people actually seem to like it, while others like to prod them on into more poop-stirring. There seems to be no lack of opportunity or passion to stir up the poop in our culture. Some people should be professional poop-stirrers. Interestingly enough, I've found that the same people who like to stir poop in other people's lives do not like for other people to stir poop in their life. Hmmm... imagine that. One of the proverbs in the Bible says, "A worthless man digs up evil, while his words are like scorching fire. A perverse man spreads strife, and a slanderer separates intimate friends." (Proverbs 16:27-28) When it says 'a worthless man digs up evil', it means to bore into. Think about a kid taking a stick and finding a pile of fresh cow poop in the field. He pokes it, then he starts to bore out a hole. Nasty, right?!? Well, there we are. Think about how the media goes after people. If it bleeds, it leads. And if it causes a stink they post the link. God says it is a worthless person who digs up evil on other people. Usually this happens when there has been conflict or hurt. But the words of a person who stirs poop do not bring healing. They are like a scorching fire, burning others. It is perverted to spread strife. We call it drama today. I don't care what you call it... it is sick. It is perverted. We have no business stirring up strife or conflict, or anger, or any such thing. Granted, you can't help it if you accidentally step into poop, but you can determine that you won't be known as one who plays in it or tries to get it on other people. Here's the challenge for today... do not stir up poop. Can you handle that? Because God is watching, and what you may not know is that when you stir up poop in someone else's life, you may very well be stirring up wrath in God. [Bible quotes are from the New American Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. This year, Starbucks changed its holiday season cup to a simple red design, and the internet blew up... I'm guessing coffee sales did too. Well played, you over-priced coffee shop. But what really happened. Basically, a few people noticed that Starbucks went with a basic red cup this year, stripping away some of the winter/holiday designs of previous years. To these people this move said, "We are going to broaden our scope and offend less people by making the cup less Christian." Apparently, some Christians began verbally protesting the de-Christmasing of Starbucks cups, and some probably called for a boycott. For the record, these were not very profound expressions, as I am a social media junkie with friends all over the spectrum, and I didn't really see any of the protests in my feed. What I did notice was a barrage of Christians protesting those few who were supposedly protesting the move away from holiday toward a more secular look. The ones 'offended' by the move to a red cup were chastised for not caring about important things like homelessness and adoption. I heard things like, "This protesting is why some people aren't Christians," and "Starbucks isn't supposed to be Christian... we are," and even, "It's just a cup!!!" Well... let me stop the discussion right there. That sounds really good. "It's just a cup!" It sounds like a great argument for not making a mountain out of a mole hill. After all, a cup cannot change the course of history. Cups don't matter, right? It is disposable. It is simply a color. Hmmmm... I think cups can change the course of history. In fact, they have. I remember one time when a man took a regular cup, shared it with His friends and said, “This cup is the new covenant established by My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." (1 Corinthians 11:25) Was that "just a cup"? Throughout Scripture various cups had a profound impact in history. The apostle Paul even referred to his own life being 'poured out as a drink offering' of service to God. Even in your life, a cup is not just a cup. If you showed up to a nice dinner and the table was set with fine china... and Dixie cups, you would think something. You would probably say something. And it probably wouldn't be, "Oh... it's just a cup." If someone handed you a dirty cup of water to drink, you wouldn't say, "It doesn't matter... it's just a cup." When you go shopping for your next set of tableware, you won't just grab any old set of glasses. You'll spend time looking for the design you like. Why? Because your cups, glasses, plates say something about you and your taste. When you want to make a statement about your personality... it isn't just a cup. I think this is especially true around the holidays. Right? And what about design? What does it mean that a cup isn't just a cup... even when it is just plain red? You may not know this, but companies like Starbucks spend millions of dollars in marketing and design work to make sure their products make a statement. Literally millions of dollars go into decisions that some of us make in a few minutes. Why? Because they are all about the brand. They identify so much with design that if you were in one of their marketing meetings and said, "Who cares about the color of the cup, or if it has any message or pictures on it?"... you would likely be fired on the spot. No one at Starbucks thinks this red cup is "Just a cup." So if Starbucks does not believe the red holiday cup is just a cup, why would they just make it red? Are they simply about simplicity? Well, of course not. They gave birth to the premium priced coffee for the everyday man and woman. Simplicity is not in their nature. Then why? Why a plain-jane cup during the holiday season? If you look at their previous holiday cups, they were obviously wintery. Were they Christmasy? Well, no... not in the evangelical sense. They didn't have a baby Jesus or quotes from Luke 2. But they were certainly Christmasy in the cultural sense (which is not a bad thing, by the way.) The cups were festive with markings that symbolized the time of year and the idea that we were celebrating something. Over the last few years they have finally stripped it down to a simple red cup. This is where the move is significant and causes me to think it is not "just a cup." The holiday cup never sported a decidedly Christian theme for Christmas, but it did reflect the holiday. The word holiday comes from the phrase 'Holy day'. These are days set aside in religions, and in culture to celebrate something we all value. So Starbucks seems to be stepping away from even the celebration of the cultural holiday. This move coincides with the broader cultural move away from religion in general and Christianity in particular. A generation ago, many Americans identified as Christian in surveys. As the culture became more humanistic, or secularized, fewer identified as being part of any religion. Now, more than ever, the 'non-Christians' are marking the "None" box when asked about their religion. These are called 'the nones' by sociologists. People who have walked away from organized religion will not find significance in religious expression. They will even see recognition of these elements as divisive and offensive. They often purge their life of religiously significant moments and holidays... even the cultural expression of those holidays that bear little resemblance to the religious foundations. So it makes absolute sense that Starbucks is moving in a parallel direction with the 'nones'. A large part of Starbucks' base would likely be 'nones'. So the move away from the celebration of spiritually significant holidays would be a brilliant move on their part, and in keeping with their values. But in a world that is increasingly interested in personal significance, what does it say that a company goes from festive to plain in their holiday marketing. Certainly they are not just cheap and do not want to spend money on printing designs. Remember, a lot of money and discussion went into the design decision to make a cup red. So saying it is 'just a cup' flies in the face of the reality. I think all of this points to the fact that it is not "just a cup." It is a decision to be religiously bland or vanilla. But beyond that, it is a reflection of what life looks like without holy days... without festive elements. Life without religion may have been a dream for John Lennon. But those who dream of no religion will dream in black and white... and grey... and maybe just see red. This is not just true of a coffee cup. It is true of a soul. The more one moves away from Christ, and the life that comes through Him, the less creative significance they will exude. Everything a believer does has value. If I drink out of a cup that has racist slogans and symbols on it, you wouldn't say it is "just a cup." Everything we do tells something about us. This false line between the sacred and the secular is being exposed for what it is on a daily basis in our culture. Sure... helping the poor is important. Caring for orphans is valid. All of these activities say something about our values as Christians. But we must be careful to not slip into the mindset of thinking that some parts of our lives don't matter. A movie is not just a movie. A TV show is not just generic entertainment. A song is not just notes on a page. Each of these carries meaning... on purpose. So we must be wise to understand that every part of life has purpose. One can excuse a lot of sin by saying, "It's just a magazine/website/beverage/joke/etc." This blog is not to paint Starbucks as evil. They may or may not realize the philosophical decisions they are making. I'm not suggesting we boycott Starbucks. I don't believe the red cup represents the Devil. I am saying that dismissing something as just a small material substance when there is nothing that is only material is as naive as suggesting that Starbucks is Satan's brew. Perhaps we should remember Paul's words... "Whatever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31) Drink your Starbucks, or your Folgers. But realize that even the partaking of food is a spiritual thing, and says something about you. Starbucks realizes this. We should as well. [Bible quotes are from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.] Find more of David’s work at Heart Of Ministry. |
AuthorMy name is David, and I want to know God more, and help other people find Him. Archives
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