Not that it probably will ever happen, but if a television network’s news program invited me to come on the air to discuss something related to Christianity, I’d want to know who else they invited. They’re famous for quickly assembling a “panel of experts” representing differing viewpoints for a given spectrum. In the American culture of “fair play” and freedom of speech, this is deemed to be “fair and balanced”. I would turn down the opportunity because I believe it does far more harm than good.
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It usually begins with the sincere, heartfelt statement, “To attract more people like [fill in the 1st blank], we need to organize [fill in the 2nd blank] here at church.” After more than a century of conditioning by a consumer-oriented culture, the approach to increasing attendance at church mirrors the same marketing techniques for selling laundry detergent. Having identified the target audience, the follow-up approach amounts to an advertising campaign to attract their attention so they’ll choose our brand and product over the rest. It puzzles me to no end as to why the repeated biblical example is for prophets, apostles, teachers, believers, and even Christ Himself to GO OUT TO the people, yet so much of the time we think in reverse, plotting on how to get them to come to us.
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It’s easy to “let your heart envy sinners” when we become focused on the very moment in which we live and come to care little for the future. Like Esau giving away his birthright for a bowl of soup, we can get caught up in the desires of the moment at the expense of the future consequences. We set our heart on getting something to satiate the desire of the moment rather than stay the course for a future reward. Not surprisingly, this is even more difficult in an age where practically everything is instantly available.
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Today’s entry is short and sweet because the truth is that this proverb doesn’t need protracted analysis and interpretation, it simply needs to be put into practice, particularly in my own life. Let’s not just read it, but live it. ‘Nuf said._††_†

I try as much as possible to stay away from purely political issues, so feel free to skip this entry if you’re equally repulsed by same. The world debating with itself about itself very rarely merits our time and can be more of a trap to render us ineffective for the kingdom by focusing us on the wrong things. However, I do think it is healthy to occasionally remind ourselves of why this is, and to understand who it is with whom we’re dealing.
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Throughout the entire Bible, one of the most important defining characteristics of a person in a right relationship with God is their immersion in and devotion to God’s Word. I have come to believe that one of the major reasons for this is that it’s a way by which one gains not just control over their emotions, but the ability to properly interpret them. Being creatures of the flesh—and therefore prone to act first and foremost on our feelings—we have to learn what is and is not in alignment with the Spirit. This is not limited to just negative feelings, but the good ones as well. Is our joy and excitement and enthusiasm aligned with God’s will and ways? We’re naturally disposed to thinking that just because we feel those things, our plans and intentions must be right.
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I have yet to meet a person that does not have some particular issue of weakness that plagues them. Although it may be different for each person, there seems to be what I would describe as an “addiction” to explain why we repeatedly give in to this thing and keep falling back into sin because of it. How do we overcome and break this cycle of behavior? How do we fulfill the full, biblical meaning of “repentance”, which is to turn away from that source of sin forever and never return to it?
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