Overflowing Hope 180 Dr. James D. Allen

Culture generally is ahead of politicians; politicians follow polls reflecting culture. Most politicians seem to be more like thermometers rather than thermostats. That is why same-sex marriage was becoming more accepted before politicians embraced it. Many who embrace it today didn’t embrace it just seven years ago. One of the cultural issues today is that it is interested in demolishing norms. Norms are values or expectations that are enforced by society. The problem with the culture today in the United States is that it proposes no norms except for one: The rejection of all current norms and the establishment of a new normality defined by the acceptance of all things. You hear this expressed lightly and jokily as in, "Well, what is normal?" In other words, everything is within the normal category. How else could a politician in Michigan recently state that she believes drag queens are fun and should be in every school. In context, it was admittedly an exaggerated statement, but in what context would it be a good statement?

Motivation--Encouragement--Inspiration

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Come On, Man, Leather Boots?

I listened to a devotion this morning by my friend Bishop David Thomas. He discussed the danger of being so divided that we don’t love and respect others. Indeed, we all may have different opinions about politics, religion, and many other things; however, Jesus didn’t say we only were to love those who agree with us. That certainly would be a lot easier than loving my neighbor as myself. People can become so filled with animosity toward a political party or individual that they even make a story about the boots a person wears at the scene of a tragedy. Come on, Man—leather boots are not news, it only reveals your heart.

 

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Ash Wednesday is a day many in the church call for repentance and renewed dedication to God and one another. It is a day of reflection and evaluation of our fallen nature, our prideful actions, our sin against God and others, and a general attitude turned toward God. There may be ashes on the forehead, but smoldering ashes must also be in the heart. Ashes represent those things that have bogged us down and clouded our vision of God and others. 

Forgiveness is always uneven. What do I mean by that? Forgiveness is not a tik-for-tik kind of settlement but is more a tik for tot or tat. A person may ask for and not understand the total pain of their actions. Our receiving of forgiveness from God is always more than we deserve. I have often been asked why we must forgive others if they don’t acknowledge how they have wronged us since even God requires we repent to receive forgiveness? The answer to this question is at the heart of uneven forgiveness. 

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The HeGetsUs Controversy—The Jesus we Rarely See

I have now watched several of the 30-second commercials from HeGetsUs. A couple of them made me uncomfortable, but I still saw them as good at reaching out to the lost and hurting. I especially like the one with the children.  Jesus allowed the little children to come to him when the disciples tried to stop them. Some friends and ministers I respect have had serious questions about the ads. Some have immediately taken a hostile attitude about the ads, calling them heretical and a different Jesus. Suggesting the commercials deliver a different Jesus is the number one complaint. It is the same Jesus, but a side of Him we rarely see.

I believe the primary reason people object to the ads is that Jesus is too Human. The Scriptures teach us that Jesus came into this world with a human body. Jesus, like all of us, was born of a woman. Of course, He was born of a Virgin and by the seed of the Holy Spirit. The idea of God himself condescending to such a low position is beyond our comprehension. We may have chosen a castle, not a manger. We may have chosen to come full-grown and demanding repentance. We may have come demonstrating our power and our divinity and putting the fear of God into a world in sin. We may have come demanding that humankind bow their knee before us. Why? That is precisely the Jesus we are looking forward to coming—as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, coming as the lion. We get this.

It is Jesus as human, the lamb, the sacrifice, the one who understands ALL our pain, insecurities, sins, blunders, fears, hopes, dreams, evil thoughts, evil actions, and evil intent. Yet, He comprehends and is touched by them without any sin himself. Scripture is clear that Jesus is 100% God and 100%-man God with us, and God as us. Here is where we need to see the humanity of Jesus. Jesus was a man. He tired. He sweats. He became angry. He got hungry and thirsty. He even had to step aside to relieve himself by the bushes of the drink and the food he had digested, just as the disciples did. This is where we get uncomfortable with the humanity of Jesus; our focus is constantly on his God nature.

The HeGetsUs ads have reminded us, perhaps in an uncomfortable way, of the Jesus who came to this world, the Lamb. Jesus came not to condemn but to save. He didn’t stone the woman caught in adultery. He didn’t ask the woman at the well to get married. He didn’t run from the leper. He didn’t kill the Pharisees for their high-handedness and blasphemy. He even received a thief on the cross who did not understand what was happening around him. He opened his heart to the hurting, the confused, the doubting, the poor, the rich, the hopeless, and to all that would receive him or listen to him.

Most churches in America have neglected the humanity of Jesus. In other words, that which God meant as a communication link to us has been mostly ignored.  Yes, he is also God. However, he came to earth to present God as a human. He divested himself of the King’s robes to wear humanity’s skin. Why? The prophets were not being heard, so God sent his son as one of us to communicate the Gospel of hope. Jesus came as God with us so that we could see God’s love for us. We have all but forgotten the human nature of Jesus as we are caught up with his deity, yet his humanity brought us to the cross. It was his perfect and sinless humanity that atoned for our sins. I might add that his humanity touched my heart of loneliness as an airman overseas and brought me to his divine nature that saved me.

I am convinced that these ads reveal the Jesus many churches have hidden, the Jesus who loves humankind and came that we might learn

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As church leaders, we are called to minister to all and to have good order in the church. Good order, of course, implies direction and even discipline. Working with people is the greatest gift God has given us as leaders and the most challenging. More than once, Moses was ready to give it up and even blamed God for the people He gave him. It sounds little different than Adam blaming God for the woman He gave him. Working with people is one of the greatest challenges of church leadership. People, including leaders, at times, are moody, pouty, irreverent, nasty, hypocritical, nice, loving, faithful, brave, courageous, and bold. (Those who are older hear the Wyatt Earp theme song. 😊)

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Some observations about the past and a path to the future.

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Some things can be changed yesterday through forgiveness!

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Every marriage needs ESP.
  Emotional
  Spiritual
Physical
            checkup

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Motivation--Encouragement--Inspiration

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