Lessons I have learned from NASCAR

1 Corinthians 12:14 – 20 (NIV) ¹⁴Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.  ¹⁵If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  ¹⁶And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?  ¹⁸But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  ¹⁹If they were all one part, where would the body be?  ²⁰As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

1 Corinthians 12:24 – 28 (NIV) ²⁴. . .But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,  ²⁵so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.  ²⁶If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. ²⁷Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

“Our goal is to field for our sponsors and fans competitive race cars on a consistent basis with the goal of winning races and championships. Our expectation is that we will be able to see in our growth and success, things that would have never been accomplished except by the direct intervention of God.” — Joe Gibbs Racing Mission Statement

Some time ago when I was living in Montana one of my friends, who owned a vintage Covette, fulfilled a lifelong dream of his one winter when he left town to spend a week in Daytona during their annual Speed Week.  At that time he was the only person I knew who had an interest in Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty,  Darrell Waltrip or others who are now gods in the pantheon of stock car racing.

And then I moved South.

In this ‘nother world, when I got to know all the people I was related to by marriage, I began to realize that most of them had a favorite stock car driver whose exploits on the track they followed passionately.  For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what they could possibly see in watching a bunch of guys bump into one another at 150 miles per hour while they were going around and around and around in circles!  And I sure couldn’t understand why anyone would fly from Montana to Daytona in the midst of winter (even if there was a significant difference in climate) to watch this exercise in futility.

And then one fall afternoon I skipped work and went to Memphis Motorsports Park, paid my $5.00 to watch some of these guys practice for their race the next day.  To me that was a safe investment, a lot cheaper than the $50 it cost to see the actual race.

I heard the roar.  I smelled the fumes.  I felt the shockwaves.  I tasted the Pronto Pup.  And I saw the multi-colored blur as they roared around and around.   And that day I became a fan.   Like everything else, it was more than I could take in from the TV.   It had to be experienced to be appreciated.  At the next family gathering I announced that I, too, had a favorite driver (Tony Stewart, in case you’re wondering)!  The more I saw, the more I liked it.

In the seven years since my first experience at the racetrack, I have begun to think about why an otherwise sane person would experience this strange attraction to NASCAR-type racing and I have come up with some sort of explanation which is this — NASCAR is a picture of how life is lived!

Allow me to explain.

• As in life, in NASCAR everyone starts out with the same equipment.  Even though the cars have different brand names on them, they must conform to a similar design.  Before each race, each car goes through an inspection where every detail of the car’s design is measured against a standard set by the governing body.
• It takes a team to make that basic set of equipment to operate at peak efficiency.  And so there are experts in aerodynamics, car suspension systms, and motors.  There are similar systems in real life — pastors, teachers, prophets, evangelists and apostles.  All exercise their gifts so that I can accelerate toward the finish line.
• When a car breaks down or begins to wear out because of the stress on the track, another team comes around it quickly to replace and refuel what is spent, and to repair what can be repaired.  Life  tends to wear us out.  We need a “pit crew” who can come alongside us at a moment’s notice who are concerned about keeping us going.  My pit crew is those who know me at my church.
• In racing, you can take others out of the race by the way in which you bump into them.  Or in some cases, your performance can be enhanced momentarily when someone bumps into you.  It is seldom that someone wins a race in an immaculate car.  You cannot live life without bumping into people.  Some are out to hurt you.  Some are there to motivate you.  Forgive the former, heed the latter.
• The actual winner of the race, however, is determined by one person — the one at the controls of the car, the representative of all the team members who make it possible for that car to compete.  To put that car and that driver on the racetrack is an incredibly expensive proposition.  My Bible tells me that I have been bought with a price.  It tells me that that there are clouds of witnesses watching me compete.  And it tells me that how I finish my race reflects less on my ability and more on the skills of those who brought me to the racetrack.
• And in racing as well as in life there is an enemy of sorts who seeks to profit from the exploits and mistakes of those on the track.  That one is the owner of the track.  My Bible tells me that there is a god of this world who continues to exert a great amount of influence on the conditions of the race in which I must compete.  The good news is that his influence is diminishing daily even though his mission remains to steal, kill and destroy.

This week Dover Motorsports Inc., the owner of Memphis Motorsports Park, announced that it was closing the facility, due to the economics of the times.  I will miss the convenience of watching others compete for the prize in my backyard.  But there are other places, more distant, where the competition takes place at a higher, more intense level.  Perhaps that is where I need to go to learn more about how to excel in life.

Meanwhile I have my own race to run.  Boogity, boogity, boogity, let’s go racin’ boys!

An abuse of power

Matthew 20:25 – 28 (NIV) ²⁵Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  ²⁶Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,  ²⁷and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

“Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations; but, on a candid examination of history, we shall find that turbulence, violence, and abuse of power, by the majority trampling on the rights of the minority, have produced factions and commotions, which, in republics, have, more frequently than any other cause, produced despotism. If we go over the whole history of ancient and modern republics, we shall find their destruction to have generally resulted from those causes.” James Madison — Speech at the Virginia Convention to ratify the Federal Constitution

About 15 years ago, I heard a tape by Christian apologist Josh McDowell who was addressing a major denominational group.  In his remarks he said that the next threat to face the church and we as Christians will be the public’s perception of our lack of tolerance for those who  are on the outside of God’s perfect will.

For example, you and I have had to explain what Jesus was saying in John 14:6 when He made the incredible statement that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  What about all the good Muslims, Buddhists, etc., out there?  Aren’t they going to heaven?

What about Paul’s proclamation in Galatians 5:19-21 about those who are sexually immoral, who practice witchcraft and drunkenness, etc.,  are not fit for the Kingdom of God?  Isn’t that a little narrow-minded to say that about a supposedly loving God?

Twenty years later Josh McDowell’s prophecy has come to pass.  It is now a federal hate crime to tell a homosexual that his/her lifestyle is not correct.  Pastors will have to count the cost now when they preach from Leviticus and Romans.  Fortunately there are some out there who are like Peter and John who believe that obeying God holds more promise than obeying men.

In all this, in Barak Obama’s refusal to recognize FOX News as a legitimate news-gathering organization, in his disdain for the views of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce when it comes to health care reform,   in Nancy Pelosi’s and Harry Reid’s bull-headed tactics in Congress, there is a lesson here for us as Christians to learn about the abuse of power.

In 2 Samuel 13, there is a story of rape, dishonor, and murder that can serve as a guide for us to follow as this new oppression comes upon us.

Here’s the story which you can read for yourself.

• Amnon is King David’s first-born son and heir-apparent to his father’s throne.
• Amnon is love-sick for one of David’s daughters (born to a different mother), Tamar.
• Amnon plots to lure Tamar into his chambers in order to have sex with her.
• She is ordered to prepare a meal  for him, and when she brings it to him, he orders everyone out of the room, and against her will, rapes her.
• With his sexual drive for power satisfied, Amnon orders Tamar away from his presence.  “He hated her more than he loved her,” the Bible says. (Verse 15)
• Tamar leaves in disgrace.  The Bible characterizes her as “a desolate woman.” (Verse 20)
• For his abuse of power, Amnon was assassinated by Tamar’s brother Absalom, bringing to pass Nathan’s prophecy to David following his rape of Bathsheba and his murder of Uriah, that “the sword will never depart from your house.” (2 Samuel 12:10)

What this says to us as Christians

The news coming out of Washington lately indicates that the tactics currently employed by President Obama and the leadership of Congress are clearly an abuse of power.

It establishes a pattern that is common to all those who are self-seeking in their desire for power.  It is a pattern that Jesus refers to when He instructs the disciples on the difference between leadership styles.  He impresses on them that, as His followers, we are here to serve others out of our supposed love for them.  That is in stark contrast to secular leadership who we serve out of fear of their power.

Serving others, including those who disagree with our worldview and those who hold power over us, makes us immune from any abuse of our heavenly authority.

One of the laws broken at Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin stated that if the court delivered a unanimous guilty verdict against a defendant, that the defendant was to be released, because there was not an adequate defense provided for him.  According to Jewish law, the main concern of the judges was to see that the fairest possible trial was held, hence the difference between Jewish and American jurisprudence.

In Obama’s, Pelosi’s and Reid’s world, once the steamroller starts,  there is no room for dissent even to be heard.

When power is sheathed in love, dissent will at least be given a voice.

If we stand by silently when those in power abuse that power, we become complicit with them in that abuse.

One of the reasons that Christianity flourished in the First Century rather than wither under the oppression of Rome is because its martyrs were not silent.  Before the death sentence was executed against Stephen he said his accusers were a “stiff-necked people. . . . just like your fathers [who] always resist the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 7:51)

When we characterize homosexuals as “sinners” we are putting them in the same category as ourselves, for all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.  We must all allow ourselves to be changed by God’s irresistible power lest we come under his irrefutable judgment.

Tamar did not speak out against Amnon’s abuse of power.  According to Easton’s Bible Dictionary that called into play another law of human nature:  “Proprium humani ingenii est odisse quem laeseris”, i.e., “It is the property of human nature to hate one whom you have injured.”

We see this principle illustrated in the Holocaust when the Lutheran Church in Germany remained silent when the Jews came under religious persecution.  The silence of the church emboldened Hitler and his propaganda machine to their despicable actions.

A few weeks ago the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community bought space on billboards drawing attention to God’s love for them.  Some of us thought those billboards should be torn down.  What we did not realize, however, was the dangerous precedent that such a move would set.  The Constitutional provision  that allows the church to function in our culture is the same protection given to all of those, regardless of whether they are in or out of God’s perfect will.  God’s love for us is not diminished nor  embellished by our spiritual condition!

James Madison, author of the Federalist Papers during our nation’s birth pangs, recognized the dangers in both the abuse of our liberty and the abuse of power, and warned that both have historically led to the demise of great nations.

The politicians in our midst have apparently forgotten that lesson.  And until they are reminded of its truth, Christians will not be the only ones to experience the wrath of unleashed power.

I had a dream

Acts 2:14 – 21 (NIV) ¹⁴Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. ¹⁵These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! ¹⁶No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ¹⁷ “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. ¹⁸ Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. ¹⁹ I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. ²⁰ The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. ²¹ And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

Habakkuk 2:1 – 3 (NIV) ¹ I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint. ²Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. ³ For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.

At the outset of writing this post, let me say that what I have written is going to appear weird.  Weird because I don’t usually deal in the prophetic, although my life has been profoundly affected by the prophets (living and dead).  Weird because there is an urgency in writing this down before this fades into the mists of memory.

I had a dream in the early hours of this morning.  I was outside of my house on a day when there were heavy clouds, when the light appeared as dusk although it was midday.  Then there was a break in the clouds and another bright light, like a strobe light, shone through.  And even though that light was intermittent the scene that I was looking at became brighter.

And in that light I saw birds of prey which appeared from the distance to be falcons and eagles dive down from the sky.  But when they got closer and landed in the trees and on buildings, were more like the pictures of prehistoric raptors.  And when their wings were unfurled they were emblazoned with colorful graphic symbols of a royal nature.

To me and those around me it appeared as though a new king had come and was about to establish his realm.

In my dream the people around me set out in pursuit these wonderful signs, reveling in their new found busyness.  And while I was tempted to follow after them, a voice inside of me reminded me that though the light which I saw was bright, it was not as bright nor as steady as the sun which was still obscured by the dark clouds.  The voice said, “There is only one version of the Truth, and that Truth is my Son.”

For the remainder of my dream, I was telling those around me to follow the Truth.  And what was amazing to me is that many listened and stayed true.

SO WHAT??

I find it interesting that I should have that dream at a time when there are so many bright lights that people are drawn to.

Louis Farrakhan

Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam, better known as the Black Muslims, is in town speaking to the people, and holding closed-door meetings with the city’s former mayor and present candidate for the House of Representatives W.W. Herenton and other black leaders, presumably addressing issues of black-on-black crime, the deplorable state of education, rampant fatherlessness and other problems which prevail in a city and culture undergoing decline.  I find it interesting that writing in The Final Call, the Nation of Islam’s official organ, that Minister Farrakhan felt compelled to extend a warm welcome to Muammar al-Gadhafi, the Lybian head of state,  who staged a hero’s welcome to the only person convicted in the bombing of the Pan Am flight which crashed in Scotland a decade ago, to come and die in his country.  What is amazing is that such an anachronism would draw a crowd that would fill up my living room, let alone the Cook Convention Center!

A.C. Wharton

In a few days Memphis is going to have a new city mayor.  A.C. Wharton waved to me in the final moments of his campaign from the corner of Crump @ Third Street on my way to work on election day.  His landslide victory in which he drew 60 percent of the 25 percent of the electorate of this city who bothered to vote indicates that not everyone is of a mind to follow those who would offer vague and easy solutions to our problems, nor are they content to put up with the corruption which has formerly characterized the business-as-usual in City Hall.  They see in Mayor Wharton a man who is most likely able to build alliances which will move Memphis toward that end.

When my pastor preached this morning about the deadly sin of sloth, he pointed out that according to outward appearances, we are not a slothful people.  However he pointed out that there is an inward sloth which makes us susceptible to the “medicine shows” which come along and offer simple solutions to complicated problems.

Minister Farrakhan said on Saturday that prostate cancer is a tool of the big drug companies to fatten their bottom lines.  What he neglected to mention is that prostate cancer often goes undetected in black men because they neglect important details such as regular doctor checkups.  The same is true about other problems in the deteriorating neighborhoods of Memphis.  Whether blight or crime, it is symptomatic that we have failed to rein in small details until they became big problems.

The challenge which awaits Mayor Wharton as well as the rest of us who live and work in the Memphis area is for us to focus on the truth that each of us, regardless of our skin color, is created in the image of God, and that He has created us to enjoy an abundant life which he allows us to seek after for ourselves, for our children and for our neighbors.  Being slothful in the details of this task will only make us vulnerable to the fluff offered by the likes of Herenton, Prince Mongo, Farrakhan and the other candidates in the recent election who sought more glory for themselves instead of offering to do the hard work of rebuilding this city into a place where we can be proud to call home.

The challenge for Mayor Wharton and for the rest of us  is to keep focused on the truth, that we will not be distracted by the darkness of the day, nor the balls of fire who are here today and gone tomorrow.  There is hard work to be done in breaking through the clouds of prejudice and distrust. And when we are able to do that, the sun will shine on us again!

A question of priorities

Genesis 2:24 – 25 (NIV) ²⁴For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. ²⁵The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Matthew 6:9 – 10 (NIV) ⁹“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, ¹⁰ your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.–First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Constantine's Converstion by Peter Paul Rubens

Those of us fortunate enough to live in Memphis have been given several reminders lately that October 11 is National Coming Out Day. I expect that there will be parades, parties and other festivities which will make our celebration of National Pickle Week pale in comparison.

All of which causes me to ask the question of what is the point of our of us expressing our passion and support of those who produce pickles or advocate alternative life-styles? Perhaps if we look at things from a historical perspective we might find an answer that will aid us in bring our plight as inhabitants of this planet back into some sort of perspective.

A Christian perspective, I mean.  So those who may be reading this with some other worldview will only become angry rather than edified might be well-advised to turn back now before it becomes too late!

For those with courage to continue then, let’s begin with a basic truth given to us shortly after Creation Week when God defined the family as one man plus one woman who leave their parents’ home in order to establish their own home and family.  This truth which we hold to be eternal, not some recent proclamation from a state legislature, forms the basis of our worldview.

As followers of Jesus we are encouraged to pray that our Father in Heaven would establish His Kingdom which is based on this very principle on earth, and that every inhabitant on this planet would come under its protection and beneficial environment.  Protection from the devastating effects of divorce and sexually transmitted disease.  The beneficial environment where every child is assisted by loving, committed parents to achieve his maximum God-ordained destiny.

History further reminds us that how the Kingdom of God is established is ultimately left to God’s will and should not be imposed on others by man nor his government.

Christianity experienced supernatural growth beginning from the Day of Pentecost until until it was declared to be the state religion of the Roman Empire in 306 A.D. by the emperor Constantine.  From that time on, history reveals a corruption of Christianity’s basic truth of salvation by grace, not works, which lasted for 1000 years, a period which has come to be known as the “Dark Ages” or the “Devil’s Millenium”.

The lesson we learn from Constantine’s establishment of a state religion is this:  Whenever the government exerts its influence into cultural and economic realms it usurps from man’s conscience the role of being the arbiter of the nation’s values. As citizens of such a nation we are then forced to look to that government for our own validation.  The result is massive “bailout” legislation or sexual orientation becoming a “civil rights” issue.

In his famous heirachy of needs, psychologist Abraham Maslow states that once our physical and financial needs are met, we begin to focus on our need for self-esteem.  It has always been God’s intention that we base our self-esteem on what He thinks of us as demonstrated by His Son’s atoning death for our sins on the Cross.   In that manner is the Kingdom of God established and its influence expanded.

The European church is powerless because it’s validation is found in its status of government sponsorship.  And that is why the first afterthought of the founders of our republic was to prohibit its interference in matters of religion, speech, assembly and justice.

Because they have not learned this lesson, that is why the extremely small minority of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered people in our nation will be taking to the streets of our cities on Oct. 11.  They will be marching in search of their own self-esteem.  And because of the shallowness of their focus that is why they will justly deserve to be mocked by true advocates of civil rights.

It will help us to put the events of October 11 in perspective as we ponder the words which  Martin Luther King Jr., spoke from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the crucial days of the civil rights struggle:

“I look forward confidently to the day when all who work for a living will be one with no thought to their separateness as Negroes, Jews, Italians or any other distinctions. This will be the day when we bring into full realization the American dream — a dream yet unfulfilled. A dream of equality of opportunity, of privilege and property widely distributed; a dream of a land where men will not take necessities from the many to give luxuries to the few; a dream of a land where men will not argue that the color of a man’s skin determines the content of his character; a dream of a nation where all our gifts and resources are held not for ourselves alone, but as instruments of service for the rest of humanity; the dream of a country where every man will respect the dignity and worth of the human personality.”

Our self-esteem can never be found in our skin color or sexual orientation or  government proclamation.  It is to be found only in the content of our character and how we respond to the challenges of life.

There is more to concern us on Oct. 11 than the lack of esteem of a population which has abandoned truth in search of pleasure.  Corruption in city government, the critically sick national economy, the  threat of rogue nations with nuclear weapons, etc., all trump the issue of what other people are thinking about me as a person.

God has called us to higher things:   Micah 6:8 (NIV) He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Ramadan: Why can’t we just get along?

Psalm 122:6 (NIV) Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure.

Isaiah 9:6 – 7 (NIV) ⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,^£ Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Have you noticed the increase in spiritual traffic in the past week?

• Ramadan is over
• The Jewish High Holy Days leading to the Day of Atonement have begun
• Muslims gather in Washington for prayer
• Hallowe’en merchandizing is in high gear
• And the world’s nut cases disguised as heads-of-state use the United Nations stage to validate their state of mental health.

The other night during my church’s home group, I received a distinct impression from the Lord which went something like this: “I have good news and bad news.  The bad news is that your life is going to be dramatically changed.  The good news is that Jesus is still LORD!”  That is in addition to other prophetic words given by men with more credentials in this area than I:

http://www.gracecenter.us/sermon/prophetic-word-for-the-church-larry-randolph/ or http://jamesryle.blogspot.com/2009/09/storm-is-coming.html

Both agree that the next few days or weeks are crucial for what could be a spiritual paradigm shift.

Today’s politically correct breed of journalists are more prone to report on the settings and personalities of the people they are sent out to write about, rather than the substance of those events.  Such was the case in the reportage coming out of Friday’s Muslim day of prayer at the U.S. Capitol.  The reporting focused on the radical backgrounds of its organizers and the conflict between some of the Christians who showed up to counter their prayers.  There was not much said about the what the specific supplications made to Jehovah or Allah in regard to our country or world peace.

In it all I felt the frustrations we all have with the zealots among us who seize such opportunities to exploit their monopoly on truth.

That “sound and fury, signifying nothing” was also evident in the rantings of the tinhorn dictators from the forum of the United Nations, and from the announcement that Iran was further along toward the development of nuclear weapons that had been heretofore thought.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, one of the things I did during Ramadan was to listen to the testimonies of various Muslims around the country regarding their experiences of previous celebrations of the holiday.  One that struck me as particularly significant was from a woman who lived in a neighborhood of an American city with a strong Middle Eastern culture.  Since the dates for Ramadan are based on a lunar calendar, her particular memory took place during Christmastime when Ramadan, Hannakuh and Christmas all fell during the same season.  During this time she and a Jewish cousin went on a drive to see the Christmas lights.  They stopped outside a house where Christmas music was playing and she recalled singing carols — “Silent Night”, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, etc — together.  She said that evening she experienced a deep sense of peace come upon her.  Could it have been the result of the presence of the Prince of Peace?

I come away from my observance of Ramadan and the events of the past week with a deeper realization of the peace which my relationship with Jesus has brought to me.  That in a world gone mad in the pursuit of its lusts, that peace can be experienced on a personal level, and that when the Kingdom of the Prince of Peace is finally established, what is now appropriated by faith will be reality to all.

John 14:25 – 27 (NIV) ²⁵“All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. ²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Ramadan: Night of power

Tonight, the Night of Power, Muslims will be seeking a revelation of God through dreams and visions. Pray that they will meet Jesus.

Acts 1:6 – 9 (NIV) ⁶So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ⁹After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

Acts 2:14 – 21 (NIV) ¹⁴Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.  ¹⁵These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!  ¹⁶No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

¹⁷ “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. ¹⁸ Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. ¹⁹ I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. ²⁰ The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. ²¹ And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

Leyla al-Qadr, the Night of Power, commemorates the night in which the first revelations of Islam and the prophethood of Muhammed began.  It is the holiest day of the holy month of Ramadan.  It is the celebration of the arrival of the Qur’an.

Various sects celebrate the night on various days, usually on the odd-numbered nights of the last 10 nights of Ramadan.  Many celebrate it on the 27th night of Ramadan (which this year is the evening of Sept. 15).

Here’s how the night is mentioned in the Qur’an:

Qur’an 97:1 – 5 We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power:  2. And what will explain to thee what the night of power is? 3. The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.  4. Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allah’s permission, on every errand:   5. Peace!…This until the rise of morn!

To celebrate the Night of Power, some Muslims will take the day off work so they can stay up all night and will often spend this night in the mosque.

The general belief is that on this special night, God gives heed to their requests.  They are open to dreams and visions as they seek for guidance and revelations.  Many pray all night seeking a response to specific requests.  One common belief is that angels will shower down the peace and blessings of God an all who remain awake during the night.  According to the Qur’an, God either listens directly or via the angel Gabriel, to requests of Muslims concerning their fate.

It is on this night, and during the following weeks, that many Muslims have had supernatural encounters with God.

We should not be surprised that these are the kinds of prayers which God loves to answer in unexpected ways:

Matthew 7:7 – 11 (NIV) ⁷“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. ⁹“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Isaiah 65:1 – 4 (NIV) ¹ “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;   I was found by those who did not seek me.     To a nation that did not call on my name,     I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’ ² All day long I have held out my hands     to an obstinate people,     who walk in ways not good,     pursuing their own imaginations— ³ a people who continually provoke me     to my very face,     offering sacrifices in gardens     and burning incense on altars of brick; ⁴ who sit among the graves     and spend their nights keeping secret vigil. . .

Researchers contend that 80 percent of new Christians in South Asia come to Christ as a direct result of supernatural encounters.  More than half of new believers in Iran (where it is a capital offense to proselytize) have had a dream or vision of Jesus, and at least 35 percent of all recent Turkish conversions were in response to a dream and/or vision.   In most cases, these supernatural encounters are in relation to a specific need or answer to prayer and are the result of years of prayer and labor by God’s people, including martyrdom.

There are many accounts in the Bible where God spoke through a dream or vision:  Genesis 41; Genesis 46:2-3; Daniel 4, Judges 7:10-15, Ezekiel 11:24; Matthew 2:12, 19, Acts 10:3-20; Revelation 1:1.  In many of these cases, the end result was for the purpose of salvation or physical safety.

We began this series of Ramadan by stating that most Muslims are not the radicals who strap explosives to themselves and walk into the marketplace and set them off, or who fly hijacked airliners into office buildings.   Instead most are like you and me, seeking a relationship with a God with whom they can find acceptance, a reason for living, and a chance to start their lives afresh.  Tonight they will be looking for all of those things.  As  we have pointed out in this series, the Allah of the Qur’an can supply none of that.  But Jesus can.  When we seek Him, we will find Him and He will answer.

Pray that when Jesus reveals Himself, those who seek Him will take the next step and find someone with whom they can grow spiritually.  Even in cultures that are officially closed to the Gospel, these helpers are there and can also be found.

Lord, on this holy night we release angelic messengers to an obstinate people, yet loved by God.  As they lift up the name of Jesus draw men from the North, South, East and West to Yourself.  Guide them to others who are like-minded so they can grow together.  For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Ramadan: What do we believe about Jesus?

Luke 24:17 – 27 (NIV) ¹⁷He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast.  ¹⁸One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?” ¹⁹“What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.  ²⁰The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him;  ²¹but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.  ²²In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning  ²³but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.  ²⁴Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” ²⁵He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  ²⁶Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”  ²⁷And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

1 Corinthians 1:18 – 23 (NIV) ¹⁸For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  ¹⁹For it is written:     “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;     the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” ²⁰Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  ²¹For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  ²²Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,  ²³but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,

A Turkish painting of Jesus ascending into heaven

In Islam Jesus is considered to be a messenger of God, albeit on a level lower than the prophet Muhammed.  In fact, belief in the personhood of Jesus is an essential tenant of Islam.

Many people who are not Christians also believe in Jesus, even exulting Him as an above-average historical figure.  He is placed on the same level as Adam or one of the Old Testament prophets.  Around the world Jesus is revered as a great teacher, a great moral philosopher.  But many would stop short of equating Him with deity

However scripture warns us about minimizing Jesus’ stature.  James 2:19 states: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.”  What God seems to be telling us through His Word that the message defines the messenger.  Perhaps a good illustration of this is that many people believe in God, yet they also believe that He is mean and angry and arbitrary in His judgments.  Whereas the Apostles  paint quite a different picture of God.  Paul says that He is kind and gentle (Romans 2:4).  Peter says that He is patient, not wanting any to perish under His judgment (2 Peter 3:9).  Jesus himself refers to His own gentleness and humility (Matthew 11:29).

Whatever we believe about God must also be consistent with who He is.  The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).  I would not serve a god whose treated me with kindness one day and with spiteful anger the next.  It is for that very reason that those of us from abusive homes find it difficult to honor our parents.

So what is there about Jesus which would indicate that He is more than just another created being?  What is there about His character that would indicate that He is equal with God, that He is God?

Let me submit to you that the answer lies in the work He did on the cross.

Muslims believe that Jesus did not die on the cross.  Rather prior to the crucifixion, Jesus was taken into heaven in much the same manner as Enoch (Genesis 5:24).  Muslims believe that someone else, perhaps Judas, was crucified in Jesus’ place.  Here are a couple of passages from the Qur’an which articulate this, in my opinion, implausible belief.

Qur’an 4:155 – 159 (They [the Jews] incurred condemnation) for violating their covenant, rejecting GOD’s [Allah’s] revelations, killing the prophets unjustly, and for saying, “Our minds are made up!” In fact, GOD [Allah] is the One who sealed their minds, due to their disbelief, and this is why they fail to believe, except rarely. (They are condemned) for disbelieving and uttering about Mary a gross lie. And for claiming that they killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of GOD [Allah]. In fact, they never killed him, they never crucified him – they were made to think that they did. All factions who are disputing in this matter are full of doubt concerning this issue. They possess no knowledge; they only conjecture. For certain, they never killed him.  Instead, GOD [Allah] raised him to Him; GOD [Allah] is Almighty, Most Wise. Everyone among the people of the scripture [Jews and Christians] was required to believe in him before his death. On the Day of Resurrection, he will be a witness against them.

Qur’an 3:54 – 60 They plotted and schemed, but so did GOD [Allah], and GOD [Allah] is the best schemer.  Thus, GOD [Allah] said, “O Jesus, I am terminating your life, raising you to Me, and ridding you of the disbelievers. I will exalt those who follow you above those who disbelieve, till the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me is the ultimate destiny of all of you, then I will judge among you regarding your disputes.  As for those who disbelieve, I will commit them to painful retribution in this world, and in the Hereafter. They will have no helpers.”  As for those who believe and lead a righteous life, He will fully recompense them.

Did you notice how the god of Islam is portrayed in these passages — a “schemer”, a vengeful, manipulative, puppeteer kind of a god, who sets up people to become objects for persecution in this life and divine wrath in the next?

Quite a contrast with the love with which John portrays Jesus in his Gospel or the Jesus about which the author of Hebrews writes:

Hebrews 1:1 – 4 (NIV) ¹In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,  ²but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  ³The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. [emphasis mine] ⁴So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

The New Testament emphasizes that when God became flesh, His primary purpose was to take on Himself the sins of the world, and to become the once-for-all sacrifice which satisfied the requirements of His law that those who sin must die.  He thus becomes at once, a God who loves sinners, and yet a just God who is willing to satisfy the justice He requires by taking our punishment in our place!

For the Muslim there is no way of knowing whether the righteous deeds done in this life are enough to satisfy their capricious god.  “If Allah wills it” is  their only hope.  And yet for the Christian who believes that Jesus died on the cross, there is a certainty that we will one day rule and reign with Him who conquered death and even now reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords (1 John 5:13 -15).

As the 30 days of Ramadan enter their most crucial time, the “Night of Power” on Sept. 15 and 16,  pray that as Muslims seek a revelation of God fasting and praying through the night, that they will receive a vision of a loving, gentle, patient, resurrected Jesus who has come to save them from both sin and uncertainty.

Memphis prays on 9/11/2009

Prayers went up to God for justice on the eighth anniversary of the attacks on New York and Washington, DC, as intercessors gathered on the lawn of the Shelby County Courthouse.  The time of intercession was part of Cry Out America, a program organized to call every county in America to pray for spiritual awakening.

Photos of the Memphis can be seen by clicking on the “Memphis 9/11/2009″ link at the top of this blog.

Ramadan: Can a nation be forgiven in a day?

Isaiah 66:7 – 8 (NIV) ⁷ “Before she goes into labor,     she gives birth;  before the pains come upon her,     she delivers a son. ⁸ Who has ever heard of such a thing?     Who has ever seen such things?     Can a country be born in a day     or a nation be brought forth in a moment?   Yet no sooner is Zion in labor     than she gives birth to her children.

Isaiah 61:1 – 2 (NIV) ¹ The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,    because the LORD has anointed me     to preach good news to the poor.     He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,     to proclaim freedom for the captives     and release from darkness for the prisoners, ² to proclaim the year of the LORD’S favor     and the day of vengeance of our God,     to comfort all who mourn. . .

In July of 2005 two teenage homosexuals were tried under Sharia law and hanged in Mashhad, Iran

Mashhad, Iran, is that nation’s holiest city.  It’s name in Arabic means “place of martyrdom”.

Officials of the government of Iran state that there is no homosexuality in that country.

But in July of 2005 the international community was shocked when it was reported that two teenage boys (one was under 18 years of age) were hanged after being tried and convicted of rape, theft, and drinking alcohol, all illegal under Iranian law.

Their hanging is not an isolated incident.

In December of 1990, Pastor Hossein Soodmand was charged with apostasy and sentenced to death by hanging.  He pastored an Assemblies of God church in Masshad and was one of Iran’s leading Protestant pastors when he was tried and condemned under Sharia law.   A Muslim convert to Christianity, he had been involved in Christian ministry for 24 years.

Under Islamic law enforced in Iran, a Muslim who converts to Christianity faces the death penalty.   Because of this, there is no way of knowing how many people in this city of 2.5 million people believe in Jesus as their Savior.  However it is generally thought that the church in Iran is growing despite its persecution.

The Messianic mandate given in Isaiah 61 involves proclaiming freedom to the captives and release from darkness for prisoners.   Technically prisoners are those who have been convicted of a transgression, while captives are  prisoners-of-war who, like the martyrs of Mashhad, are victims of a repressive regime.

So far this Ramadan, I have learned much about the 1.5 billion people in this world who subscribe to Islam.

And I have discovered two irreconcilable differences between Christianity and Islam.

• One I discussed in the post prior to this one. Jesus’ claim to being the Son of God absolutely does not fit into Muslim theology. To the Muslim mind it is blasphemy for anyone to claim sonship to Allah. That challenges their core belief that: “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” Not even Muhammad would dare claim that he was a son of God.
• The other irreconcilable difference is Muslim legalism vs. the grace of Christianity.

The reason Muhammad has such a prominent place in Islam is because he served as an example of how a follower of Allah must live. The Arabic word for Islam means “submission”. Submission implies that there is a authority which I must obey . . . or else!

That is why they can say there are no homosexuals in Iran.

That is why those who convert to Christianity or who rape other teenaged boys must be hanged.

In order for God’s justice to be carried out, is why people strap bombs to themselves and walk into marketplaces or hijack airliners and fly them into office buildings or bring “dirty bombs” into populated areas and set them off.

One of my disciplines during this time of year has been downloading MP3 testimonies of various practicing Muslims of their Ramadan experiences. My source for this information is: http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/podcast/first-person/ramadan.xml. Listening to their stories, many of whom are converts to Islam, I am struck by the rules they must follow to become Muslim: learning the prayers in Arabic, taking classes, waiting for the sun to set in order to break the daily Ramadan fast, etc.

It is the same mind-set that Jesus contended with in His confrontations with the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees – each having a special set of rules to follow in order to be accepted.

The message Jesus and His disciples preached was the opposite of legalism – grace. It is the message that when the traffic cop catches you speeding, he doesn’t give you a ticket, but he shows you why it is unsafe to speed and then gives you another chance, or better yet, gives you a “get out of jail free” card.

But that isn’t all there is to Christianity. There is its unique teaching in Christianity that goes along with grace. It is the power of forgiveness.

In Matthew 18:21 Peter asks Jesus “How many times do I have to take ‘guff’ from someone before I’m allowed to strike back”. In a magnanimous fashion Peter suggests seven times as being fairly reasonable. However Jesus suggests 77 times or even seven times seventy.

As Jesus goes on and tells the frightening parable of the unmerciful servant, Peter perhaps realizes that he has just tipped his hand as being the real-life example of the unmerciful servant who has been forgiven much, but is still unable to forgive little.

As Americans, we have come to realize that it’s not a question of if but when jihad will strike again on our soil. And so the question we must face is not how we apply this teaching to individuals, but to nations. When terrorists strike again will our response be nuclear? Or shall we continue to defend ourselves by vigilance instead of violence? What do you suppose Jesus’ answer would be?

This Ramadan God is revealing Himself to me as the personification of Justice and His Son as the personification of Grace. Our job, as His sons who will one day see His Kingdom come, is to prepare His way by vigilantly advocating grace, for when the sword of the Lord is unsheathed it will be terrible and swift.

With the emergence of National Israel, we have seen a nation born in a day. Perhaps it is therefore not unreasonable to see another nation forgiven in a day!

I will continue to pray that Islam, and even my personal enemies, will be blinded by visions of mercy and grace.  That same mercy and grace  might even change my and other Christians’ attitudes toward homosexuals!

Ramadan: Sons, not slaves

Hosea 1:10 – 11 (NIV) 10“Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’ 11The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be reunited, and they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.

Luke 10:17 – 24 (NIV) 17The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” 18He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” 21At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. 22“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” 23Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

The Qur’an forbids mention of the phrase “son of God”.

9:30. And the Jews say: ‘Uzair (Ezra) is the son of Allah, and the Christians say: Messiah is the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouths. They imitate the saying of the disbelievers of old. Allah’s Curse be on them, how they are deluded away from the truth!

Three world  religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — all trace their theological doctine to the Old Testament account of the pre-existence of God, the Creator of the universe.  That sliver of commonality would lead some to confidently say that they have full assurance of their eternal destiny because they believe in God.  However James reminds us that nearly everyone who has ever pondered who they are and why they are here, has come to the same conclusion about the reality of God.  James 2:19 (NIV) You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

Since a Holy God cannot co-exist with demons, the epitome of evil, there must be another standard by which God measures our ability to stand before Him in judgment.  And that standard is who we say that Jesus is.

Christians believe that He is God’s only begotten Son, who lived a flawless life and who was wrongly crucified, dying in the sinner’s place, taking the sin of the world upon Himself in order to satisfy the requirement of the law given to man from God which unequivocally states that without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness.

Judaism, on the other hand, denies the divinity of Jesus as well as the Trinity clinging to what every Jewish boy learns for his Bar Mitzvah in Deuteronomy 6 where it states, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is one God” (Deut. 6:4ff).  The grounds they stated for Jesus’ crucifixion was that He claimed to be God.  The Jewish mindset has great difficulty in reconciling how one God can have a Son who also claims to be God.

Islam also maintains that that there is only one God, who they call Allah.  Nevertheless they believe in Jesus and even concede that Jesus was immaculately conceived.  However to suggest that Jesus is the Son of God, in the Muslim mind, conjures up images of Allah having intercourse with Mary, a thought which is so distasteful that when Muslim actors are hired to read from the Bible, they refuse to read parts that refer to Ezra or Jesus being sons of God!  To do so, under Sharia law, is a capital offense.

So what shall we do with this concept of the Trinity which impedes Jews and Muslims from coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus?

First of all, we have to concede that belief in the Trinity is a stretch of anyone’s faith.  Have you ever tried to explain that concept even to a believer?  Sure, we can use examples like ice, steam and water all being a chemical compound comprised of two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen.  Or we can say the shell, yolk and albumin all combine to form an egg.  But ice cannot at the same time be steam or water.  Neither can the yolk, at the same time be the calcium shell or albumin.

To believe in the Trinity requires that our minds believe in another realm, one which cannot be seen with the human eye, but which can be experienced by our senses and in our spirits.  The corollary of this concept is that those who believe in the concept of one God, live confined in a one-dimensional faith.

I recently viewed a television documentary about Albert Einstein, the famous theoretical physicist who postulated the theory of relativity.  His theory directly challenged the fundamental concepts of what we now call classical physics based on the observations of scientists such as Newton by which mathematics were used to explain and predict the behavior of visible particles.

Einstein’s theory was impossible to prove because no one had observed the phenomena which that theory predicted.  Until someone devised an experiment in which measured the position of stars during a solar eclipse.  Classical physics predicts them to be in one position, while Einstein’s theory placed them in a slightly different, but observable, position.

Total solar eclipses occur on earth at least twice every year.  However at the turn of the 20th Century they were observable in isolated places on this planet, for short durations in which it would be impossible to carry out the experiment which used photographic plates, and then there was always the risk that cloud cover would obscure the eclipse itself.  It took several years for the experiment to be carried out, but when it was successfully done, Einstein’s theory was proved correct.

That gave rise to what is today called quantum physics.  Quantum physics is based on the idea that there is a world that cannot be seen using available technology.  However the effects of what occurs in that unseen world can be observed by scientific observation.  Millions of dollars have been invested in an experiment which will be conducted in Switzerland in an attempt to observe  the effects of a creation of what physicists call the “Higgs Particle” which they hope to see when atoms are accelerated and collided to produce what happened when God said, “Let there be light.”

It will be another year or so before that experiment will be carried out.  If scientists observe that they hope to see, not only will quantum physics be validated as more than just theory, but implications are that the existence of God can be proved scientifically and mathematically!

For now, the existence of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is a matter of faith.  We can boldly call ourselves children of God based on that same faith:

John 1:12 – 14 (NIV) 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Believing in Jesus has always required a multi-dimensional faith.  Nicodemus in John 3, could not fathom how a man could be born again.  But through faith that concept became a reality to him.

As long as  Muslims base their beliefs in God in the dimension of the observable, they have no hope.  Yet this culture which gave us the science of mathematics has made it possible for us to develop theories about an unseen world which we are now able to see.

During this Ramadan, let’s pray that the “eyes of their heart”  will be open to that unseen realm, and that it will become as real to them as Einstein’s world was to him and which is now being revealed to all of us more and more each day.