Discipleship – Page 23 – Muscular Christianity

It’s Ain’t Just Heaven

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In one sentence or less: What does it mean to be born again?

Some confuse saying a pre-manufactured prayer in the midst of an emotional moment to being saved. They catch a glimpse of hell and they sign up for a “get out of jail free” card in order to reserve a spot for themselves in heaven. It’s not always that superficial, but sometimes salvation is processed as a spiritual add-on as opposed to a total transformation.

So, what does it mean to be born again? Where did phrase come from and what should be different about that person once they’re truly saved?

Here’s the bottom line – I’ll state it here and then work backwards so it makes more sense: That which was dead has been made alive. And the resulting “resurrection” positions you in a way where you are now truly living rather than just existing. Read more

What Would Your Billboard Say? (Part I)

If you were tasked with creating a billboard that promoted the advantages of being a Christian, what would it say?

Let’s take it a step further and say that you can design it however you want, but you have to leave out the idea of eternal life as well as the notion that says “He helps you with your problems.”

It makes you think, doesn’t it?

John 3:16 and verses like Isaiah 42:10 and John 16:33 demonstrate that missing hell and going to heaven along with having a Divine Source of assistance in moments of trouble are both very much a part of the Christian’s landscape.

But, if your approach to Christ is limited to either a funeral home or a major crisis when you’re feeling like you’re at the end of your rope, then you’re missing out on the vast majority of what God brings to the table in the context of a relationship with Him.

In John 17:3, Jesus defines eternal life as “knowing God.” That’s not something that begins when your heart stops, rather it’s something to be enjoyed, experienced and deployed right here, right now. And while it’s certainly a game changer when you’re dealing with a problem that threatens to overwhelm you, it was never intended to be something you reached for only in times of duress.

That said, how does knowing God translate to an advantage when comparing the life of a believer to their unsaved counterpart? What would your billboard say?

I’ve got a few ideas. Check it out: Read more

The Law Must Serve The Truth

Intro

In California there’s a law that allows transgender students to choose which restroom they want to use – either the boys room or the girls room.

“The law, which will take effect Jan. 1, gives students the right “to participate in sex-segregated programs, activities and facilities” based on the gender they identify with as opposed to their birth gender. Those programs also include sports teams.”¹

It’s the law…

Usually, if something is put into law, it’s pretty much accepted that the legislation in question is nothing more than a moral concept being reinforced by a legal dynamic.

But there’s nothing “moral” about someone insisting that they’re a female when, in fact, they are a male. That is neither noble nor healthy. Rather, it’s a problem that needs to be addressed as a perversion and not accommodated as a reasonable decision. Read more

My Birthday

It seems the older you get, the more common it is for people to accompany their birthday salutations with a collection of condolences. Stuff like, “It’s only a number!” or “You look good for your age…!”

It’s all cool, but lurking behind some of that is a cultural phenomenon that isn’t always healthy.

Our society operates according to a premise that says your prospects are defined according to the season of life that you’re currently positioned in. In other words, your dreams and aspirations need to be qualified according to the number of years you’ve been standing upright.

So, if I’m a teenager, I can dream of when I’m 21 and at that point be comfortable in believing that I’m now capable of accomplishing something extraordinary. By that point, I will have graduated college and I’ll be ready to take on the world.

George Washington was 17 when he commissioned to be the surveyor of the area we now know as Virginia… Read more

The Edge of God

I’m reading a book right now that has a young, idealistic guy determined to prove that he has what it takes to be an agent within an organization whose job it is to fight and bring to justice those who engage in illegal drug trafficking.

He often has to pose as a buyer and in the context of playing this role, he descends into a pit of depravity and moral darkness. And it’s not just due to the part that he must play, it’s also the manner in which reports are falsified and the culture within the agency that says the ends justify the means.

His story prompted a question in my mind: How does someone in that kind of position maintain a firm grasp on his morals? If a solid individual is capable of relinquishing his grip on the sense of right and wrong he grew up with, is it inevitable that a good person will be corrupted given the right set of circumstances?

I decided the answer to that question is “Yes.” A good person will be compromised if the only thing they have to default to when exposed to a consistent regimen of overtly wicked influences is the mere notion that says “people should play nice (see 1 Cor 15:33).” Read more

There is Such a Thing as “Muscular Christianity”

Think about this: Being fit spiritually needs to be approached with the same kind of resolve that one deploys in the context of being physically fit. Reason being is that I’m not going to triumph in life based on a fit appearance. It’s who I am and not how I look or perform that ultimately translates to true success.

Being fit is very, very cool. I don’t say that because I feel like I’ve arrived, rather I see it as something that goes beyond mere appearances and therefore worthy of more than a casual effort.

It is inevitably indicative of who you are: your sense of discipline, you capacity to meet certain challenges, your ability to do more than the bare minimum.

We live in a world of instant gratification and an acceptance of unhealthy excess. We don’t have a bowl of ice cream, we have a quart because it’s there and we tell ourselves we should be able to enjoy it. And I’m not just talking about a frozen dairy dessert; I’m talking about any kind of food or behavior that, while it may be fine in the context of healthy parameters, is positively lethal when engaged without boundaries that are Absolute.

People cringe when they hear that word because it represents a dynamic that is perceived as unnecessarily restrictive and no one likes to be told they shouldn’t or they can’t.

But behind that word is an approach that is as advantageous as it is common. No one who has been able to accomplish something extraordinary has been able to do so without denying themselves whatever might distract them from achieving their goal. Yet when we attempt to take that same concept and rightfully apply it to the whole of life, discipline and sacrifice are suddenly processed as antiquated and even judgmental because even the presence of limits can invoke feelings of resentment and indignation. Its one thing to be disciplined in the context of pursuing a goal, but it’s another when deployed as part of a holistic approach to our total existence. Read more

Thomas Jefferson at Ten Years Old

It wasn’t that long ago if you were old enough to work, you were an adult. That means by the time we were getting our Learner’s Permit, George Washington had already completed surveying the territory we now know as Virginia and Thomas Jefferson was several years removed from proving himself capable of surviving in the woods, thanks to a challenge presented by his father when Thomas was ten.
History echoes Scripture as far as how young people are far more capable than our culture gives them credit for
As adults we do well to process these realities as our cue to be more diligent in encouraging the young people in our charge as well as “sucking it up” when confronted with challenges that pale in comparison to those that our younger historical counterparts had to face.

Thomas Jefferson. He’s ten years old and his father sends him into the woods alone. The assignment is to demonstrate his ability to survive in the wild. All he’s got is a gun and his wits.¹

10 year old Thomas is able to prove himself and he would go on to accomplish some extraordinary things as a statesman and as the third President of, what at the time was a very young and unsteady nation.

I’m wondering what would happen if such a thing were attempted today. What if a father handed his ten year old son a shotgun and told him that he had the afternoon to find and kill his supper. Given today’s culture, I’m thinking that would be considered abusive and Family Services would be called upon to help the Dad better understand how to properly raise a boy.

And who’s to say that Family Services wouldn’t have a point? We don’t expect that kind of capacity in a youngster, but my question is: Should we? Should we expect a ten year old to be capable with a shotgun? And why stop there? Should we expect more out of kids than we do? Read more

Productivity or Activity?

Sometimes you just don’t have time to waste, you know? You’ll sit down to do something and you find yourself involuntarily doing a bunch of things simultaneously, or at least it feels like it.

Problem is, unless you’re careful, the end result isn’t always as productive as you want need it to be. Reason being is that inevitably there are things that need to take priority and when you allow yourself to be distracted by other things that “appear” as though they need to be done, what absolutely must be done takes a back seat and you’re not aware of it until the day is almost finished.

It’s subtle, isn’t it? It’s not that you’re not doing anything. You’re glued to your workspace. Perhaps your friends and family have commented to you how it seems as though you’re always working. But when it comes time to get paid, you’re not pulling in the kind of revenue you need to and you find yourself feeling a little uncomfortable when you’re asked “What have you been doing?” Read more

Lap of Gratitude

There’s a park nearby that features a trail which provides a great route for runners in that it’s a little less than a mile and winds through trees and some picturesque scenery. It also has a little bit of a hill at one point, so it can be challenging depending on how much you want to “push” it.

Generally, I’ll try to run around it at least three times. That way, I will have gone three miles and worked up a decent sweat.

Most of the time when I run, it will be a day where I’ve resolved to give my muscles a break from the normal LCF routine and my pace will be somewhat relaxed, at least for one lap.

By relaxed, I mean that if I were to be running along with someone, we would be able to have a conversation without a lot of huffing and puffing. That being the case, praying is often an activity I’ll engage in when I’m running on this trail.

Earlier this week, I started running / praying and I determined that for one lap, I was going to put my “list” aside and instead do nothing but thank God.

My list can be pretty extensive and, depending on how things are going with my family and my business, rather than a quality conversation, it will be a one sided wall of requests that will crowd out anything that I might otherwise say to God or hear from Him.

So I thanked Him for everything I could think of. And by that I mean, I wasn’t engaging in some trite little exercise where I’m trying to sound gracious and reaching for things that required very little thought. As I was running, I…

noticed the sky and the scenery – Romans 1:20
reflected on the fact that I could run at all. My hip surgery is rarely overlooked when I’m exercising in that there was a time in the not too distant past where walking for any length of time was a challenge. Not I’m doing Burpees! – James 5:13-16
rehearsed the fact that my perspective is radically different because of the Spirit of Christ breathing life into what othewise would be a spiritual corpse – Ezekiel 36:26; Romans 8:5-8; 1 Corinthians 2:12
thanked God for my bride and my kids – Psalm 127:3-5; Prov 31:10-31
thanked Him for my country – Psalm 33:12
thanked Him for my business – Deuteronomy 8:18

…and there was more, but those represented the highlights.

Here’s the thing, though: Being more intentional about thanking God before I launched into my list of appeals and grievances set the tone for a far more healthy and productive conversation with my God than what would’ve been the case had I simply started off with “what I want.”

So, I think I’m going to try and do that more consistently in the future. Before I start my marathon of requests or my sprints of activity, I’m going to warm up with a lap of gratitude and maybe throw in some well-deserved compliments. It seems like that’s how you’re supposed to pray anyway (Matthew 6:9-10; 1 Thess 5:16-18).

I think I’m going to go take a lap right now…

My Imaginary Conversation with Oprah

Oprah has been quoted as having said that her view of God was changed after hearing her pastor refer to God as “jealous.” This is an imaginary conversation between Oprah and myself where I suggest that “jealousy,” when processed from a perspective that accommodates the Hebrew language, isn’t a reason to doubt the Character of God, rather it’s another reason to appreciate the Love of God.

Bruce: Oprah! How are you doing? Man, it’s a treat to be talking with you.

Oprah: Bruce, I’m doing great! What’s on your mind?

Bruce: I wanted to ask you about something I saw on the internet where you were apparently put off a little bit by your pastor referring to God as a “jealous” God.

Here’s what I heard:

Years ago I went faithfully, 8 o’clock service, 12 o’clock service. I was a tither. I was making 227 dollars a week, and I tithed 22 dollars and 70 cents every week. But after Jim Jones led the mass suicide in Guyana, I started to feel differently. The church I went to had a really charismatic pastor—you had to show up early to get a seat—and I remember sitting there one Sunday while he was preaching about how “the Lord thy God is a jealous God, the Lord thy God will punish you for your sins.” I looked around and thought, “Why would God be jealous? What does that even mean?” And I’m looking at the people in the church, and everybody’s up, shouting. And I started wondering how many of these people—including myself—would be led to do whatever this preacher said. That’s when I started exploring taking God out of the box, out of the pew. And eventually I got to where I was able to see God in other people and in all things—in graciousness and kindness and generosity and the spirit of things¹. Read more