worship only?

Discipleship is being a student Jesus. Learning from him and following up with what you have learned. So, how can the vast majority of Christians trust in Jesus, but not intend to actually follow him? I don’t think this is a conscious decision. It is almost a given. How did we get here?

The main influence of non-discipleship Christianity is “Sunday morning thinking.” Most Christians believe that attendance is discipleship. “I go to church” is the equivalent of “I am a disciple of Jesus.” They view attending worship as the sum of Christian life instead of being a time for worship in community in the midst of a Christian life. Let’s be honest. Sunday morning worship services alone don’t build up apprentices of Jesus.

When we invite someone who is not a Christian to a worship service, this is a good thing. This is where most potential Christians connect. But, what we want to keep in mind always is we are not simply inviting someone to church, we are inviting them into a life. So, how can we best work this out? Stay tuned.

love and obey?

In Luther’s day (1500’s) the main challenge for God’s people is thinking they have to do a long list of things in order to deserve God’s favor. There are pilgrimages to different cities in order to look at relics. In other words, you would get forgiveness points, as it were, for visiting museums with things like hairs from the beard of John the Baptist, or Peter’s toenail or whatever. Everyone is trying to earn God’s love.

So Luther placed a strong emphasis on God’s underserved favor for us. Grace. It is not what you do that is important; it is what Jesus has already done. This is a wonderful correction for trying to earn the love of God or buy it.

But this isn’t really our challenge today. Trying to earn God’s favor. O, there is still plenty of that going around, but the real challenge today is actually intending to follow Jesus. To be obedient to his teachings. An easy test of how far we have to go is to measure your emotional response when I say these two words.

“Love.”

“Obey.”

How did you feel when you read each of these words? Warm and fuzzy with the first? “Yuck” with the second? Now you see how far we have to go. Love is a beautiful thing. Obedience is a beautiful thing. To obey is simply to respond to God’s love by following the teachings of Jesus so that you respond more and more like Jesus would respond if he were you in any given situation.

The greatest challenge of the church today is to say you love Jesus, you trust in him, but you really have no intention of following him. That thought never even crossed your mind.

never read a bible verse

Greg Koukl has a saying, “Never read a bible verse.” The verses of the Bible are to be in context. They are addressing situations. One of the biggest challenges for the church today is the reading of only one Bible verse out of its context.

Christians today think that all that is necessary is to accept Jesus as your personal Savior and then… What? Then what? You see too often, the church has a plan to reach potential Christians, but once they are reached there is no clear plan. It sounds like:

“You are saved and now you wait to die so you can go to heaven.”

It’s true. When you are saved you do get to go to heaven. But salvation is so much more than that. Dallas Willard talks about salvation as being involved through Jesus with what God is doing. That’s now, as well as heaven. So, if we are to work with God for the rest of our lives through eternity, then where did we get the idea that we don’t do anything except accept?

It goes back to one Bible verse. Martin Luther was writing against a corrupt church that was selling forgiveness of sins on pieces of paper. If you bought it you were forgiven. There were other ways the church was promoting doing stuff to get in good with God. Luther used a bible verse to say, “No!”

Ephesians 2:8 (NLT)
God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

Saved by grace, as it were. Revolutionized the church. But the message soon became:

“Saved by grace? You don’t have to do anything!”

And so, in many ways, this is the legacy we are left with. Now, to be fair with Luther, he read the verse in context. He said we do good works as a response of thanks for what God did through Jesus by saving us. Luther didn’t just read one bible verse. Read more.

Ephes. 2:9-10 (NLT)
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. [10] For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

We are saved to make it possible to do good things as much as we are saved to avoid hell and live in heaven. I will expand on that thought tomorrow.

why do we need Jesus?

There is a real quick answer to the question, “Why do we need Jesus?” To have our sins forgiven. The Bible says we can’t be with God for eternity unless we are pure (Habakkuk 1:13). We are made pure when we trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus being for us personally. When we are connected with the forgiveness of Jesus we live with him forever. We call this forgiveness, “Grace.” It is given to us as a gift from God. We can’t earn it in any way through our human efforts. But that is not all that grace is.

“Even if you did not sin you would need grace.” (Dallas Willard)

In our lives now, we need God’s power to do the things we cannot do on our own effort. To live the abundant life now and in our eternal future, grace provides fuel for living, not just forgiveness. Forgiveness is important, but grace is so much more. Grace is necessary to have access to the power of God in order to fulfill our destiny in his plans. Our destiny is this:

“To live life as Jesus would live it if he were I in any given situation.” (DW)

do something

Dallas Willard spent yesterday at our local church teaching a group of men and then a group of pastors. When Dallas speaks you always come away more in awe of Jesus. What an unusual quality. Usually when someone of such prominence in Christian circles speaks you come away in awe of the speaker.

Here is one of his gems.

“Jesus said, ‘Without me you can do nothing.' To which he could add, ‘And if you do nothing it will certainly be without me.’”

The Christian life is working with Jesus. It is not being “saved” by him and then just sitting back and wait. We are to fulfill our destiny in his plan. We are to do something. When we make ourselves available Jesus can take over with his power.

Dallas uses the analogy of power steering. I am old enough to have driven cars without power steering. So, the comparison works for me. Without power steering, you are pulling on that wheel pretty hard. There are times when two hands are called for. With power steering, you still have to start the turn, but then the power takes over. You can steer with one finger, but you still have to move it before the power takes over.

Jesus provides the power, but you still have to do something.

sex disneyland

We have a big church in a wealthy area of town up in the hills overlooking the Westside on one side and the Valley on the other. Well, the pastor said recently they had a problem with their parking lot at night. There would be cars parked there at all hours. He got some cops to go out there with him and here is what they found.

Sex Disneyland. The people were parking in the lot and then they were shuttled by numerous tinted window Escalades. Destination? A couple of local mansions where they were having sex parties. Couples and single women only. They would come anonymously, jump into the waiting vehicles, go at it for a few hours with whoever doing whatever, and then return to the church parking lot, hop in their cars and go home.

My friend Mark said the strangest thing was who these people were. They looked like they lived in the area. Typical people you would meet at the mall or Saturday morning AYSO games. Except they were being filmed for cheap instant porno DVD’s the night before.

Now the audacity of using a church parking lot for Sodom and Gomorrah might have gone too far. I mean, come on. But, the fact that it happened is all too understandable. We live in the porno capital of the world. DVD’s, video’s, and internet porn is headquartered in various locations throughout a ten mile radius of where I am posting this. So, too, the filming. It’s done in the homes and backyards of houses I drive by every day.
But you wouldn’t know it. The Valley’s best kept secret. Like evil often does, it blends in nicely. So, what can I say? It’s sick. It’s real. And if God decides it’s time for sulfur from the sky again ala S and G, the original, then I am going to be right in the middle. I’m sharing my faith as fast as I can, but look what we are up against? Oh well, I’ll stick with Jesus and see where he takes me for a ride.

at one with the universe?

I saw a report yesterday about yet another attempt to say spirituality is wired into our genes. Let's think about that for a moment.

What is meant by spirituality? Well, the author used the key phrase, "You feel at one with all that surrounds you" or something to that effect. If you answered, "yes" then you are on your way to being considered spiritual.

Well, I must not be spriritual. I don't feel at one with all that surrounds me. In fact, I feel a bit disjointed with all that surrounds me most of the time.

People- I have no at-one-ness with someone who wants to kill me and my family because we are Christian. I have no bond with someone who wants to kill me and my family because I am an American. I pray for those who wish me dead, but I do not feel any connectedness.

"Can't we all just get along?"- Rodney King

"No we can't. We have to develop into the kind of people who can get along."- Dallas Willard

Place- I am not at-one with dust. I used to be a semi-clean freak. So, for almost half my life I choose to live in a desert. It's LA, but it's still a desert. No, dust here, right?

Thing- I am not at-one with small print. I have glasses. I can squint. But it seems to me, if you want me to know something, you wouldn't hide it in tiny font. Unless you didn't want me to know something. Then, that's deception. And I'm not down with that.

what would Jesus do?

With the yellow “livestrong” Lance Armstrong bracelets popping up everywhere, I thought it was time to go “old school” and start wearing a “WWJD” bracelet again. After all, it’s still cool. Allen Iversen continues to wear his.

In review, WWJD stands for, “What would Jesus do?” Homer Simpson thought it meant “What would Geppetto Do?” but that is for another day. So, what would Jesus do? Quite frankly, I am not so sure. I know he told his main students (disciples) they are to teach everything he commanded to other people (Matthew 28:20). What he commanded is one thing but the resulting actions is another. We might be surprised at some actions Jesus takes in a given situation, but we would know the thinking behind the action through what he taught. “WWJD” is a good reminder, but it may be more helpful to start out with a “WDJT” bracelet. “What did Jesus teach?” Too often people are quick to assume what Jesus would do without the knowledge and understanding of what he taught. “WDJT” bracelets for everyone.

everyone will be saved?

“God will save everyone in the end.” This is called “universalism.” In the designer faith, it means that I need Jesus as my Savior, but someone else doesn’t. How does a Christian come to this contradiction?

Universalism is based on false logic and emotion. “How could God do such a thing?” “A loving God will always forgive.” The trouble with this line of thinking is mistaking the identity of the one who chooses. It isn’t God doing “such a thing.” God does always forgive but this doesn’t mean his forgiveness is accepted.


Doesn’t this mean God is unnecessarily cruel? After all, he has the ability to save everyone, doesn’t he? Well, let’s consider this. If someone has rejected Jesus and chosen not to worship him or trust in him, you would say that person does not want Jesus. If you don’t want Jesus all your life and then you die and face him in judgment, who is going to want to live with Jesus forever when he/she is proven wrong? No one would choose this. He/she has become the kind of person who cannot want Jesus. In fact, heaven would be torture for such a person. No, when it comes to heaven or hell, the person who has chosen to reject Jesus in this life chooses hell.

Besides, universalism is not supported in the Bible. The Bible speaks of heaven and hell. The Bible speaks of those who will live with Jesus forever and those who will be separated from Jesus forever. All people will know Jesus is God, they just won’t all be saved.

God honors human freedom so much he allows us to reject him.

we all worship the same God?

So what are some of the designer faith teachings that some add to their Christianity? I’ll look at several. Today, let’s start with a common statement,

“We all worship the same God.”

Well, yes and no. Yes, if you are worshipping a being outside of yourself. There is only one God. But, no, because you aren’t worshipping the same God.

People use the elephant story to try to explain the belief that Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, and so forth all worship the same God. Several blind men discover an elephant and each tries to explain it. One touches the leg and says, “It is like a large tree.” Another grabs the trunk and says, “No, it is like a snake.” Another grabs the tail and says, “No, it is like a big broom.”

You see, all of them are explaining the same elephant from a different perspective. Now, this is a clever story, but it breaks down because Christianity explains that elephant in reality. Ken Samples and Fuz Rana from Reasons to Believe say it well.

‘A more accurate story about God is this. In the Christian view of God, Jesus heals the blind men and they can clearly see. Or, in the Christian version of this story, the elephant speaks and tells the blind men who he is.’
The Christian claim that God has already revealed himself in Jesus makes other viewpoints unnecessary. If you wish to know about God, look to Jesus. Put Jesus on the table, along with the other views, and then let’s see which is the clearest view of reality. Put it to the test.

designer faith

I like to joke with people and say, “The church is the only voluntary organization in existence today where people go to consistently be told they are wrong.” Obviously, this is an exaggeration, but if the center of human nature is narcissism, “it’s all about me and what I think,” then it is not too much of a stretch. The first basic message we learn in church is “Jesus is Lord and we are not.”

A healthy church community is a place where we open ourselves up to the message of Jesus where he says, “My way works. Learn from me and connect with me and I will guide your development to be the person I have destined you to be.” In this development, clear teaching and trusted Christian friends who are also on this journey provide feedback.

Without a church community guiding you in a basic biblical model of faith, and calling into question places where you stray, it is too tempting to design a faith that reflects whatever you want. It’s like going to Coldstones for ice cream. If you don’t know Coldstones, these are ice cream shops that not only have a ton of flavor choices, but also a ton of additives, like crushed Heath bar and gummi bears. You order a base ice cream and then as many additions as you choose and then they crush it together, mix it up, and there you go.

Whenever someone says, “I am very spiritual, I just don’t go to church,” I hear, “I really benefit from religious teachings, but I don’t want to be challenged. I don't want what I think ever questioned. I don’t want to take the chance that I am not going to be able to do exactly what I want.”
Now, I don’t think people realize this might be their meaning. I do know there are other reasons people who are “spiritual” don’t participate in “spiritual” communities. I just can’t help thinking, “Coldstones.”

where do taboos come from?

Why do human beings throughout history have taboos against certain behaviors? Whether thousands of years ago or modern times, whether in remote jungles or urban areas, there are certain behaviors that are universally condemned. How is it that humans have a conscience?

What are some of these behaviors that are condemned and punished? Examples:

• torturing children for pleasure
• incest
• rape

The Darwinian evolution model doesn’t have any mechanism to explain these moral codes. There is something much greater than the brain going on here.

Whether you call it a "soul" or "conscience" or anything else, it is not simply brain connections. It is given to us from the outside. The evidence is some caring, intelligent, outside agent has given us this ability to know certain things are wrong. I call this agent, "God."

how do you get consciousness from material?

How does consciousness originate from material alone? If you follow Darwinian evolution then you are left with everything consisting of material. The theory is challenged in a compelling way by consciousness. How can thought itself be simply material?

Well, the evidence shows it’s not. We have no evidence that you are simply your body parts. The evidence weighs in the other direction. You are the thing that has parts. There is much support for the existence of something beyond the tissue and circuitry of the brain.

For example, studies have consistently verified patients who had no brain activity measured (popularly called “brain dead”) who came back to consciousness. They report experiencing memories and reasoning during the time the brain was not functioning that prove to be accurate.

It is also logical to assume that thought is not simply material. Think of this.

• Persuade someone there is no such thing as persuasion.
  
• You may know the makeup of my brain, but try to predict my free decisions.

how do you get life from non-life?

How do you get life from non-life? There is no Darwinian evolution explanation for the origin of the first living cells. Find a scientifically supported theory for the origin of life. You won’t. You will get a lot of guesses. There is no specific research that shows this is possible.

Because the evidence for explaining getting life from non-life is non-existent, there is a big push to try to explain life on earth coming from outer space. Life on Mars, moons of Venus, moons of Jupiter and so on. This doesn’t solve the problem of origin of life, however. Just shifts the location. If it were from Mars, how do you get life from non-life on Mars?
The weight of the evidence is that the first living cells were specifically designed by a Creator. The best explanation is they were miraculously formed. And that’s just a start. Let alone how you get body structures and organs and a brain and, well, you. Random chance?

how do you get something from nothing?

Science research overwhelming supports a physical universe with a beginning. A moment before creation there was no space, matter, energy or time. Then suddenly everything in our physical universe came into existence. This is informally labeled, “The Big Bang.” There are many different types of big bang theories, but they all have the same general principles. They all support a universe that has a beginning.

There are philosophical arguments that there are countless universes and we are just in one that supports life. There are philosophical arguments that our universe was birthed from another universe and so on and so on. I say philosophical because there is no scientific research showing anything but a big bang single creation event. All else is imagination, thus far.

Two of the most basic laws of physics are:

1. Nothing comes from nothing
2. Something had to
   

I call that something “God.”

for the sake of others

As I have said, if the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus are historically reliable, than it would make sense to consider him God. Only God could do what he did. So, then my task is not to decide whether he is worthy to be followed, my task is to decide whether I want what he wants or what I want. If I choose to follow my own path, then I become my own god. Do I trust myself to live a healthy life? Do I trust myself to live for the sake of others, a key sign of human maturity?
An interesting observation is every great sign of human maturity for the sake of the other has been led by people who claim Jesus as their Savior. The list is long. Ending slavery. Establishing child labor laws. Womens rights. Civil rights. Hospitals.Not that non-Christians of goodwill were not involved in these movements, as well, only that they were spearheaded in the name of Jesus.

innocent suffering

When children are murdered, as they were by the militant Islamists in Beslan, Russia, the question of suffering and the existence of God comes up once again. How can there be a God who allowed such an evil event to happen? This dilemma is sometimes called, “The Problem of Evil.”

Here are some basic observations.

By God’s design, in order for him to be in personal relationship with humans, we have to be able to sin. We have to be able to say, No,” to God. If we are forced to love and forced to do good then we are robots. So, because humans have the freedom to reject God, they have the freedom to choose evil.

Now, if the evidence of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is historically reliable, then the question of “how can there be a God” isn’t meaningful. If the evidence is reliable, Jesus is God. “What kind of God would allow this innocent suffering” is a better question. Then we can examine what Jesus actually said about life and suffering, what Jesus did, and what Jesus does.

is the bible without error?

Is the Bible without error? Why are you asking this question? Do you think that the Bible has to be without error in order for you to trust in Jesus? I don't. For me, one thing has to be historically accurate in order for me to trust in Jesus. The physical death and resurrection of Jesus. In other words, Jesus died and rose from the dead physically, never to die again.

Now, I do trust in the accuracy of the Bible. I'm just saying that if you were to discover errors in some of the Bible's writings, it would not cancel out the death and resurrection. As Greg Koukl says, 'It's not the inerrancy of Scripture that is essential, it is the inerrancy of the death and resurrection of Jesus.' So, though I do trust in the accuracy of the Bible, the historical evidence of the death and resurrection of Jesus is where I stake my claim that Jesus is who he says he is.

After rising from the dead, never to die again, everything else is no big deal. If he has the power to raise from the dead and never die again, then he must have some powerful "kung fu." (Sorry, too many martial arts movies lately) Seriously, if the historical evidence supports his resurrection, then it would be reasonable to accept the accuracy of what he says about himself and it would be reasonable to follow his teachings.

I remember

September 11 is a memorable day in my life. It will give a sense of history for the rest of my life. I was a young boy when Kennedy was killed. I remember. I was in junior high when Martin Luther King Jr, and Bobby Kennedy were killed. I remember. I was in high school when the Palestinian terrorists killed the Israeli athletes at the Olympics in Munich. I remember. Then, 3 years ago, today. I remember.

I was at the health club riding an exercise bike watching the news when the second jet hit the next tower. I thought that was a replay of the first. No replay.

So, what have I learned? Everyone has a point of view. Everyone has guiding principles to their lives. When people act on those principles, it may be for good or for evil. Some of these principles may be sourced in sacred books. Some may be fostered by an examination of the natural world. Some may be based on how someone feels at a given moment. None of this is neutral. None of this can be ignored. What we are left with is to try to figure out which principles have the best view of reality. Which principles are based on the strongest evidence. Then one needs to decide if one wishes to follow these or that which is less clear.

sticks and stones

Ad homonim attacks are standard today. This occurs when you don’t want to support your position or you can’t logically support your position. Then you call the other person names and question their character or their intelligence. Loaded words are usually good to try to stop debate before it even starts.

You are a: bigot, Nazi, Ku Klux Klan, Hitler, fascist, racist, sexist, fundamentalist, leftist

You are being: intolerant, close-minded, bigoted, simplistic, extremist

In almost all cases, when ad homonim attack is used the person has surrendered their logic. Almost always this name calling is a substitute for a weak position that is difficult to support using logic and clear thought.

If someone uses an ad homonim attack on you for simply stating a point of view, then you are probably striking a nerve in the other person. They probably think your viewpoint is too persuasive to carefully explore together. Better to lash out quickly and get it over with.

The old saying goes, “You get the most flack when you are right over the target.”

saved?

Yesterday, I spoke of being “saved.” To live with Jesus now and for eternity. Why do I need Jesus? For the forgiveness of my sin. So, if I do not trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of my sin, I don’t receive the benefit of his forgiveness. It’s not that he doesn’t want me to receive his forgiveness; he just won’t force me to accept it. The forgiveness made possible through Jesus is the greatest sign of his love. However, he will not force his love on me. I do not worship an abusive “lover.”

So, there are three types of people in the world today. Those who trust in Jesus and receive his forgiveness. Those who know about Jesus but don’t trust in him and therefore don’t choose his forgiveness. Those who don’t know anything about Jesus.

So what about being saved? I think the overall message of the Bible goes like this. Group one is saved. Group two chooses not to be saved. Jesus could give them his love even they don’t want it, but, I would argue, the Bible is clear he is not one to force his affections. Group three is a mystery to me, and mercy for them may be based on something else (see Romans 2:14-16). In any case, he will decide.

Jesus or many ways?

The local Episcopal bishop here in LA thinks that you can be saved in ways other than through Jesus. Many people who identify as, “Christian,” think the same way. How can that be? How can you be a Christian and a “pluralist,” which is a another way of saying, “a person who believes many paths lead to salvation?”

If you don’t need Jesus then you either can save yourself or you are saved by another. If you can save yourself, than why do you need Jesus? Why don’t you just save yourself? If you say you can’t then how can anyone else because they are a sinful human being just like you?

If you are saved by another, then Jesus is not the Savior. If he isn’t the Savior why are you saying he is? If you say he is just the Savior for you then here we go again…

bigot

It goes something like this.

I believe Jesus is the Savior. You believe all religions lead to God. I believe it is only through Jesus that you can be saved. You say I am being a “bigot.” Does this mean, you are telling me I am wrong, among other things? Why am I wrong? For saying you are wrong? So, does this mean you are the only person who is allowed to call the other one wrong? Isn’t that being bigoted? Let’s see.

The meaning of “bigot,” comes from the Middle French word meaning, “hypocrite.” I am not calling you a “bigot” because I believe you are wrong. I am just calling you wrong. You are calling me a “bigot” because you disagree with me, but there is no hypocrisy in my opposition to your logic. I come by my opposition honestly; not as a hypocrite. I think you are wrong.

find yourself?

Just caught the ending of movie “Never Been Kissed” again. News reporter-disguised-as-high school student Drew Barrymore says this to her actual high school classmates. “Find out who you are and try not to be afraid of it.”

That sounds like great advice, but not so fast. Recently, my good friend, Rich Melheim, called attention to this issue.

"In her book 'Primal Teen,' Barbara Strauch, science editor from TIME, tells us that adolescents add about 20% more brain tissue in the judgment center of the brain (pre-frontal cortex).
The problem is, they've got all the mass, but none of the connections. It doesn't get all hooked up until they are -get this - about twenty-five!
The author concludes that parents must take on the role of master advisor: 'You must become the pre frontal cortex for your teen.
The problem in our society is, of course, our kids hit 13 and we virtually abandon them. Draw a time line of raw time spent with kids on one end and years of age on the other and you'll see the line bottoming out at the onset of adolescence.
We are leaving them to their own devices and judgment at the absolute worst moment."

Who doesn’t think it’s a great ideal to have teenagers “discover" who they are and not be afraid of it?” Except that who they think they are could be the absolute worst scenario for them to base their life upon. If the evidence of the brain research is valid, who you think you are is not who you necessarily think you are in the first place.

This is another reason why I’m a Christian. It’s not who I think I am that is important. It’s who Jesus thinks I am (his beloved friend), and who he wants me to become, his obedient follower (John 14:15).

"extremist" christianity? part two

When talking about the lack of extremism in the name of Jesus, I am sometimes asked, "What about murdering abortion clinic doctors? That's pretty extreme."

There is no authority for a Christian to “take the law into your own hands.” Romans 13, again. There is no biblical support for vigilantism. Christians are invited to participate in law enforcement, the military, or the legal system, however there is no authority given by Jesus to set up “Christian” law enforcement or a “Christian” court system or a “Christian” army.” “Onward Christian Soldiers” is a metaphor.

This explains why a Christian is not following Christ or the guidelines of the Bible to murder an “abortion” provider, even if they believe abortion is murder. 99.999999% of those who call themselves Christians already understand this. The number of murders (FBI statistics) of “abortion” doctors or related staff in the United States since 1973 (Roe vs. Wade), is seven. Now I don’t know the background of all the perpetrators or those awful crimes, but if they all identified themselves as “Christian”, this is as “extreme” as those who call themselves Christian get, and they weren’t following Christ in the first place.

“extremist” christianity? part one

Here is what you need to know.

There is no authority in the Bible to set up a Christian government. There are no instructions for this. Christians are called to be active citizens in a country, in Romans 13, for example. Christians are invited to participate in government and be supportive, but there is no authority given by Jesus to set up a government. That may have been attempted centuries ago in rare cases, but there was no authority given from Jesus or the Bible. That’s why you don’t see it today.

want a space station?

I met a guy named Lloyd today who has a scrap metal business. He has yards in LA and Oakland and deals with some pretty amazing "junk." He has tanks. Yes, real tanks. The kind with guns. He has "duck" boats. You know the ones with wheels and a ramp like they used on Omaha Beach on D Day? And he has a space station. Seems they build a duplicate in case the original didn't work. Now Lloyd must have a good business, as I think he said he had something like 70 people working for him.

So this all kind of freaks me out. I recycle cans, bottles, paper and so forth, while Lloyd does space stations and tanks. He's doing his part and I'm doing mine, but my efforts seem small compared to his. I'm not talking about what either of us is accomplishing, just the scope of the issue.

It's like this. Are there big things I am doing for the benefit of others. Or am I only doing small things? I guess it just depends what you are working on. You do the best with what you have. Jesus said, "If you have a lot, I expect a lot." (Luke 12:48)

But with Jesus, even if you have a little he expects a lot. He wants everything. Pepsi can or space station, Jesus wants it all.

ideas

When you have an idea about something, I may want to consider it. If you offer me your sources for having that idea, I will be more influenced, but not without question. For example, I am the type of Christian who absolutely thinks the Bible is the ultimate source, "this side of heaven." So, if you wish to have an influence, it is a powerful tool for me if you biblically support your position. I still may not agree with your interpretation of the pertinent texts, but you have at least strengthened my interest.

If you simply cite the university credentials of a person, it will not have the influence you may intend. I have spent too many years dealing with credentialed people from "prestigious" universities, who, I would argue, need more clarity in their thinking.

If you use "cleverness," you have provided even less of an atmosphere for influence. So often cleverness substitutes for thought.

Now, I have learned from people who have used clever slogans, who don't study the Bible, and who are Ivy leaguers, but it wasn't their cleverness, their not using the scripture, nor their schooling that had an impact. It's their thinking.