PREMEDITATED LOVE

The word “premeditated” is almost always used in relation to murder.  Its use is not restricted though. The whole event of Christmas may be viewed as divinely premeditated.  While murder is the taking of life, Christmas is God's gift of everlasting life (John 6:40).  The irony is that man’s premeditated act of Christ’s murder made possible God’s premeditated gift of our salvation.  It was a reality that God envisioned and intended from the very beginning.  "For God so loved the world . . ."

 Christmas is far from a celebration of divine impulse.  Our Father did not make a spur of the moment decision to send Jesus his Son to earth for our salvation.  We see this in God’s premeditated plan for John The Baptist, the cousin of Jesus, to go before Jesus with the message of repentance and the good news of the Messiah’s coming.  Well before that, seven hundred years before, He told the prophet Isaiah about his plans (Isaiah 40:3 & 53).  God’s deep love for us has always been premeditated.  He planned our salvation from the very beginning. 

Over the millennia, our Father God has been faithful.  Now his prevenient grace calls us to respond.  How are we to respond to such lavish love?  We respond in his likeness as a people of intentional, premeditated love in celebration.  In his likeness, filled to the measure of the fullness of God, we arise each morning meditating on and remembering how long, wide, high, and deep is the love of God.  Then we go forward faithfully into his day with anticipatory thanks and praise as celebratory expressions of our love for Him and for all others.   We are a people of hope grounded in the optimism of God’s grace.  Hope anticipates. Hope expects.  Regardless of the circumstances, hope believes that God loves us and is faithful. 

Christmas focuses light on God’s premeditated love.  It calls us to celebrate his never failing love seen in His great gift of His Son and the continuing gift of the Holy Spirit.  Thanks be to God for his premeditated love!

SPEAKING THE TRUTH ABOUT FERGUSON

I've been wanting to write about my thoughts and feelings on recent events in Ferguson, Missouri.  On November 25 (2014), NFL Pro Benjamin Watson, tight end for the New Orleans Saints, posted on facebook his thoughts and feelings.  What he shared resonated strongly with me.  Here's what he wrote . . .

“At some point while I was playing or preparing to play Monday Night Football, the news broke about the Ferguson Decision. After trying to figure out how I felt, I decided to write it down. Here are my thoughts:

I'M ANGRY because the stories of injustice that have been passed down for generations seem to be continuing before our very eyes.

I'M FRUSTRATED, because pop culture, music and movies glorify these types of police citizen altercations and promote an invincible attitude that continues to get young men killed in real life, away from safety movie sets and music studios.

I'M FEARFUL because in the back of my mind I know that although I'm a law abiding citizen I could still be looked upon as a "threat" to those who don't know me. So I will continue to have to go the extra mile to earn the benefit of the doubt.

I'M EMBARRASSED because the looting, violent protests, and law breaking only confirm, and in the minds of many, validate, the stereotypes and thus the inferior treatment.

I'M SAD, because another young life was lost from his family, the racial divide has widened, a community is in shambles, accusations, insensitivity hurt and hatred are boiling over, and we may never know the truth about what happened that day.

I'M SYMPATHETIC, because I wasn't there so I don't know exactly what happened. Maybe Darren Wilson acted within his rights and duty as an officer of the law and killed Michael Brown in self defense like any of us would in the circumstance. Now he has to fear the backlash against himself and his loved ones when he was only doing his job. What a horrible thing to endure. OR maybe he provoked Michael and ignited the series of events that led to him eventually murdering the young man to prove a point.

I'M OFFENDED, because of the insulting comments I've seen that are not only insensitive but dismissive to the painful experiences of others.

I'M CONFUSED, because I don't know why it's so hard to obey a policeman. You will not win!!! And I don't know why some policeman abuse their power. Power is a responsibility, not a weapon to brandish and lord over the populace.

I'M INTROSPECTIVE, because sometimes I want to take "our" side without looking at the facts in situations like these. Sometimes I feel like it's us against them. Sometimes I'm just as prejudiced as people I point fingers at. And that's not right. How can I look at white skin and make assumptions but not want assumptions made about me? That's not right.

I'M HOPELESS, because I've lived long enough to expect things like this to continue to happen. I'm not surprised and at some point my little children are going to inherit the weight of being a minority and all that it entails.

I'M HOPEFUL, because I know that while we still have race issues in America, we enjoy a much different normal than those of our parents and grandparents. I see it in my personal relationships with teammates, friends and mentors. And it's a beautiful thing.

I'M ENCOURAGED, because ultimately the problem is not a SKIN problem, it is a SIN problem. SIN is the reason we rebel against authority. SIN is the reason we abuse our authority. SIN is the reason we are racist, prejudiced and lie to cover for our own. SIN is the reason we riot, loot and burn. BUT I'M ENCOURAGED because God has provided a solution for sin through the his son Jesus and with it, a transformed heart and mind. One that's capable of looking past the outward and seeing what's truly important in every human being. The cure for the Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice and Eric Garner tragedies is not education or exposure. It's the Gospel. So, finally, I'M ENCOURAGED because the Gospel gives mankind hope.”

BREAKING BONDAGE: THE PURE HOPE OF RECOVERY

What does it take to break away from the bondage of sexual addiction that pornography promotes?  I ended my last blog entitled “Sin, Suffering, and Sexual Addiction” with these words: “While terrorism is an external threat from without, sexual addiction to pornography is a threat from within.  Like other addictions, the sin of sexual addiction and the personal damage it does can be prevented and healed.  Restoration to purity can be a reality.”  PureHope is a non-profit organization that tackles the pervasive threat of pornography and promotes recovery from addiction in a sexualized culture.  You can find them at purehope.net/.  Their insight into the steps to recovery is derived from their thirty-year history in the fight. Here’s what they say about steps to recovery* . . . 

(1) Acknowledgement and Confession – Movement to freedom begins with acknowledging that there is a problem and honest confession.  Confession to a trusted, godly friend of the same gender is a start. Such a friend can speak the truth in authentic love and be a continuing source of accountability.  They can also help with disclosing the problem to one’s spouse.

   (2) Intimacy with Christ – God is intimate and just.  He is the one who saves.  He can heal and save with power over sin’s guilt, power, and shame.  Experiencing a deepening, authentic relationship with God our Father through faith in Christ is the key to overcoming addiction.  By God’s Holy Spirit healing comes “not by might nor by (your own) power, but by My Spirit says the Lord.”  (Zechariah 4:6)

   (3) Counseling – Professional, well trained Christian counselors and Christ centered mentors who have “been there” have helped thousands out of the pit of pornography.  They are essential to rescue, restoration, and recovery from sexual addition.

(4) Community – Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)  This is not a solo act.  It can’t be done alone.  Success requires fellowship in community with others who persevere with us on the journey of transformation.

Avoiding sexual sin can be helped through internet filtering software, being aware of entertainment triggers, remembering that porn is a lie of the evil one that ultimately destroys, and being aware of the camel’s nose of seemingly innocent curiosity that can give the devil a foothold.  Avoiding the darkness of porn is not enough.  Healing takes place in the light.  The pursuit of purity means living in accord to God’s design and his will for us.  A wholesome sexual life can reflect God’s truth, mystery, beauty, and goodness.  In Christ it is possible to have a life of purity in the sexual culture in which we live.

Pure Hope offers a four part message of hope in the pursuit of a pure life: (1) Prayer cultivates intimacy with God including time in God’s Word;  (2) Understanding by acquiring knowledge promotes healthy discernment;  (3) Resolving to be healed requires perseverance in repentance and commitment; (4) Engagement with others for support and accountability makes it possible to love others in word and deed and to love and respect ourselves.

On this last point, remember God’s Word – “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:  If either one of them falls down, one can help the other up.  But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.”  -  Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

*This particular blog relied heavily on the helpful literature from Pure Hope found in Recovery in a Sexualized Culture, Pure Hope Coalition, 2013, and at http://www.expastors.com/how-many-pastors-are-addicted-to-porn-the-stats-are-surprising/

For more info, see:  purehope.net/blog    facebook.com/findpurehope      recovery@purehope.net