Sign of the Saved

"What is the sign of the "saved"? Speaking in tongues? Baptism? Their Biblical scholarship? Their willingness to go to foreign lands? Their ability to amass an audience and preach? Their skillful pens and hope-filled volumes? Their great miracles? No. The sign of the saved is their love for the least." (Max Lucado, "And the Angels Were Silent")

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (Matthew 25:37-40)

The Ripe Time

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in his “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, answered the criticism of some white clergymen over his participation in marches and protests. A few memorable excerpts:

”We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God- given rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jet-like speed toward gaining political independence, but we stiff creep at horse-and-buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging dark of segregation to say, "Wait."

But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six- year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?"; when you take a cross-county drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you; when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading "white" and "colored"; when your first name becomes "nigger," your middle name becomes "boy" (however old you are) and your last name becomes "John," and your wife and mother are never given the respected title "Mrs."; when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you no forever fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodiness" then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience.

Actually, time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively. More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co-workers with God, and without this 'hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right. Now is the time to make real the promise of democracy and transform our pending national elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. Now is the time to lift our national policy from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of human dignity.”

What is your Animal Personality?

Take the quiz to find out your animal personality:

I took it a few times. I'm either a










or a










I think both are accurate descriptions depending on what day of the week it is and what kind of mood I'm in.

Click the link above to take the quiz, then drop a comment here and tell me what the results are and whether or not you agree with them. Have fun!

I'm Going For It!

In March we'll be heading over to Virginia Beach where I will be participating (not competing, realistically speaking, except against myself) in the Shamrock 1/2 Marathon--13.1 miles.

I never would have dreamed of doing something like this just a few months ago. Today when I stepped on the scales they registered 64 pounds lighter than they did in June!

It has been difficult lately (during the holidays and with cold weather) to stay motivated with my fitness routine. Preparing for this challenge will give me a new goal to work toward and keep me focused.

I am so excited and a little scared, I must admit. I've never done more that six miles at one time and to say "that's been awhile" is an understatement.

By putting the word out I will hopefully have some folks keeping me accountable and "holding my feet to the fire"--I imagine they'll really feel like they're on fire by the time I get finished.

Taking the Bible Literally?

Ani DiFranco’s new poem “Literal” expresses the sentiments of many people today:

when they said he could walk on water
what it sounds like to me
is he could float like a butterfly
and sting like a bee
literal people are scary,
man literal people scare me
out there trying to rid
the world of its poetry
while getting it wrong fundamentally
down at the church of
“look, it sez right here, see!”

A friend recently added a post to his blog about some of his struggles with faith. One of the respondents commented..."To me, it’s not God that’s scary. It’s not religious texts that are scary. It’s humankind’s interpretations and abuses of them that frightens me."

I agree totally. There are many people who take passages of scripture out of context. By use of selective proof-texts you can probably find a Bible passage to back up any position you wish to hold. We've seen plenty of historic examples (including the slave trade in America in the 18th and 19th centuries, Nazism during World War 2, and the opposition to the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s) of people misusing scripture to support their ungodly ideologies.

As a result, there are many people who scoff at anyone who incorporate scripture as a foundation for their worldview. While their is a danger of misusing scripture to support one's beliefs and actions, there is also a real danger in "throwing the baby out with the bath water" by discounting the Bible all together.

There is Wisdom in the Bible's pages; ancient treasures, lost or ignored, from which we could greatly benefit today.

For me, it is not a question of "do I take the Bible literally?". The challenging question for me is, "Do I take the Bible seriously?"

There are obviously (and some not-so-obvious) biblical texts that use literary devices such as hyperbole, metaphor and analogy. There are also places where the author speaks literally and plainly. The tricky task is to determine which is which.

A trickier task is to take seriously the principles that are clearly taught in the Bible's pages, regardless of the literary devices employed to convey those principles. The trickiest task of all is to incorporate those truths into one's lifestyle and behavior so that we think and act like Jesus--from the way we respond to God, treat fellow human beings or care for the natural world.

So that is my life-quest: to take the teachings of the Bible seriously and learn to think and act like Jesus. After nearly five decades I'm still not very good at it, but maybe I'm at least making progress in the right direction.

Happy Monday

On Mondays, I usually feel like this little guy looks. It's not that Sundays are hard, just that I tend to stay up a little too late watching TV. (I'm usually so keyed up after watching The Amazing Race that hours pass before I begin to get sleepy :).

I think I have SAD, so a gloomy Monday morning in the winter really gets me down. Even on a mild day, sunsets in the middle of the afternoon are difficult to adjust to.

Today, however, is anything but gloomy: bright and sunny with a high temp of 72 degrees expected--it's nice! I hope to take some time on my lunch break to go outside and take a walk.

Hope you're having a good Monday where you are.

Who is Jesus?

A few weeks ago my son received an e-mail from one of his friends:

"... could you ask your dad these questions please. Is Jesus the human form of God or his son? Is the Holy Spirit and Jesus a part of God or are they their own self. please if you could write a convincing truth about this topic because all my friends are fighting about this and everyone has taken sides. thank you so much for this Mr. Thompson. it means lot. I hate seeing all my friends fight and take sides. thank you so much."

Here is my reply:

"...your e-mail was forwarded to me and I will try to answer your questions as best I can. I am sorry your friends are arguing and taking sides. You are a good friend. I will try to keep my answers short, but hose are BIG QUESTIONS you asked and hard to answer in just a few words.

Everyone has an opinion and everyone thinks they are right, so they probably won’t listen to what I have to say unless it agrees with what they already think. So, first of all, let’s set some ground rules.

Rule #1: if there is a God then he knows more than all of us—me, you, and all your friends. So we should find out how God would answer these questions. To get God’s opinion we go to the Bible. The Bible says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:16) So first of all, will your friends agree to use the Bible as God’s word, and let that be “the Referee”, so to speak?

Now, how does the Bible answer your questions? Jesus is God in human form AND Jesus is the Son of God

Jesus is God in human form:

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image (form) of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)

He (Jesus) is the image (form) of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:15-17 (NIV)

The Bible is full of references to Jesus being the Son of God. Here are a few of them:

Jesus claimed to be the Son of God (see Matthew 27:43) In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, ⁴² "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. ⁴³ "HE TRUSTS IN GOD; LET GOD RESCUE Him now, IF HE DELIGHTS IN HIM; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.' "

Satan knew Jesus was the Son of God (see Matthew 4:1-4) Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit (notice they are two separate beings) into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. ³ And the tempter came and said to Him, "Since you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." ⁴ But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'

The demons that Jesus cast out of people knew Jesus was the Son of God (see Matthew 8:29) When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. ²⁹ And they cried out, saying, "What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?"

The disciples (followers of Jesus) said they believed He was the Son of God (see Matthew 16:13-17 and Mark 1:1) Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" ¹⁴ And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah ; but still others, Jeremiah , or one of the prophets." ¹⁵ He said* to them, "But who do you say that I am?" ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." ¹⁷ And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jona , because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. (Notice that Jesus and God and two distinct beings)

The Gospel of Mark begins with these words: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

When Jesus was crucified the Centurion (Roman commander in charge of 100 soldiers) and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" (Matthew 27:54)

So it is not either “Jesus is God in human form” OR “Jesus is the Son of God”—the Bible teaches that He is both!

“In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word (Jesus) was with God, and the Word (Jesus) was God. ² He (Jesus) was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him (Jesus) all things were made; without him (Jesus) nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him (Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of men… ¹⁴ The Word (Jesus) became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his (Jesus’) glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-4, 14 (NIV)

*************************************************************

Next question: “Is the Holy Spirit and Jesus a part of God” or “Are they their own self”? Are they one, or are they separate?

Again the Bible teaches that both statements are true.

God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are One (called the Trinity), but they have separate “personalities” and functions.

This is referred to as “The Godhead”. In the Book of Genesis in the Bible God said, “Let US make human beings in OUR own image”. God reveals Himself as the Creator, through the Son (Jesus) as our Savior, and through the Holy Spirit as the Christian’s “Counselor” and “Comforter”. (see John 14:15-17) "If you love me, you will obey what I command. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. (John 14:15-17) (Notice they are referred to as three separate beings)

In the New Testament it says, “Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. ⁷ For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. (1 John 5:5-7 (KJV)

I know that’s a lot, probably more than you expected. Those are BIG QUESTIONS you asked and hard to answer in just a few words. You will see also that this is not my opinion but what the Bible teaches, what God says about Himself, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I hope this helps.

The Big Challenge

Lee Strobel was an atheist and legal editor for the Chicago Tribune. It was his agnostic wife’s conversion to Christianity that prompted him to use his legal training and journalistic experience to systematically study the Bible, ancient history and archeology, and interview dozens of scholars in those fields. After a couple of years of intense study he came to the unexpected conclusion that Jesus is the unique Son of God. It wasn’t the outcome he was necessarily seeking, but the conclusion he believes the evidence persuasively warranted.

He has since written several books about the evidence and interviews that help persuade him: God’s Outrageous Claims, The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, and The Case for a Creator.

I am all for searching for the truth—and I do not believe it is relative. But here’s the big question with which Lee was confronted, and the one that faces me: “Am I willing to set aside my preconceptions and let the evidence take me wherever it will?” I did (and continue to attempt that, although it is at times a painful process), and continue to come to the same conclusion Lee did.

I challenge my atheist friends to do the same—to give an honest look at the gospel accounts of the life of Jesus, and the evidence supporting them as accurate and reliable. Give all sides a "fair hearing" before casting your verdict. Are you willing to set aside your preconceptions and let the evidence take you wherever it will?

Seeker Sensitive

I got into an interesting discussion with an older pastor-friend the other day. He was decrying the trend he has seen in churches during the past twenty-five years or so of "seeker sensitive worship services"--the piano and organ is usually replaced with guitars and drum, song lyrics projected on a big screen. He saw the whole thing as "watered-down", sac religious--even "blasphemous".

I have a little different take on things. To me, "seeker sensitive" doesn't imply watering down the truths or challenges of Jesus, rather is means an attempt to see things from the point of view of the one who is not (yet) a believer. It is attempting to put oneself in the shoes of the one who is unfamiliar and uncertain, whether they have never been to church or they are entering a place with different traditions and customs.

What's the alternative, to be "seeker insensitive"? Being seeker sensitive is not about "worship styles", dress codes or whether or not they serve coffee in the "lobby". It's about being mindful of one's guests and not making assumptions. It means explaining things as we go along, telling about why you do what you do.

I think it would be great if churches in general were more sensitive to the seekers in their midst. God, by the way, is seeker sensitive and has a great invitation and promise for the one who is really searching for answers about God and spiritual truth:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 29:11-14)

Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8)

Father~ Thank you for desiring to make yourself known, answer my questions and fulfill my longings. Thank you for feeding my hungry heart. Help me to be sensitive to others who are chasing after the truth. Amen.

O Holy Night

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;

It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born!

O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,

Here came the wise men from Orient land.

The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,

In all our trials born to be our friend!

He knows our need, To our weaknesses is no stranger.

Behold your King, before him lowly bend!

O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His Gospel is peace.

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother

And in His Name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

Let all within us praise His holy Name!

Christ is the Lord, O, Praise his name forever.

His power and glory every more proclaim!

O night, O holy night, O night divine!

A God Who Sings For Joy

"The LORD your God is in your midst, The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV)

Although the Old Testament Prophet spoke these words regarding the nation of Israel, I believe these words reflect God's love for all His children. I love the last line, "He will rejoice over you with singing". When I read that I picture a mother holding her blanketed infant, humming a lullaby--full of joy and love for her precious child. The little one returns her gaze and coos with contentment.

God loves you like that. In the old King James Version it reads, "He will joy over thee with singing". 'Joy' is used not as a noun, a thing, but as a verb, an action word.

God actively "joys" over you, and bursts into song, overwhelmed with his own love for you.

That is the message of Christmas:

"The angel said to the shepherds, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ (Messiah), the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11)

"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet (Isaiah 7:14): "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us." (Matthew 1:22-23)

"The LORD your God is in your midst...quieting you with His love...rejoicing over you with singing."

Merry CHRISTmas

Christian Hate Crimes: Honoring the Fallen

A memorial service was held today in Colorado for two young missionaries who were killed this past Sunday. A young man opened fire inside a Youth With a Mission (YWAM) training center dormitory in Arvada, Colorado killing two.

When I was in Asia I was privileged to meet some of the young people affiliated with this organization. They are an inspiration. With a deep love for God, and an equally deep desire to share that love with the world, they demonstrated a great commitment to share the Gospel (Good News) about Jesus.

The Denver Post carried an article on the two "YWAMers" who lost their lives early Sunday morning during a shooting in Arvada. I am reprinting it here so that more people will have the opportunity to read about who these young people were, to see what they believed in and what they gave their lives for.
___________________________

Young missionaries: caring and forgiving. One victim had turned away from gangs; one was called "an angel". Philip Crouse first came to church an angry young man — a member of a skinhead gang. He left it with peace in his heart, say those who knew him. "He had a heart of an evangelist," said Tim Maus, the senior pastor at Peters Creek Christian Church in Alaska. Maus said Crouse would have held no bitterness toward his assailant, the man who opened fire in a training-center dormitory for young Christian missionaries early Sunday. "He had found the power of a giving life," Maus said.

The bullets killed Crouse, 24, and Tiffany Johnson, 26, who grew up in Chisholm, Minnesota. They had been studying with Youth With a Mission. "Tiffany was an angel," said Andrew Strobridge, who also was studying at the Arvada dormitory to become a missionary. "Always smiling, always caring." He recalled how she cared for him when he was sick, helping nurse him to health. Johnson had traveled to the Middle East and Africa as part of YWaM, said Cheryl Morrison, wife of George Morrison, a pastor at Faith Bible Church, on whose property the YWAM dormitory was housed.

After Johnson finished her training with Youth With a Mission, she became a staffer there, organizing housing and guest stays. "She was an amazing young girl who had a heart for what God called her to do," Morrison said. Crouse came to church about six years ago, recalled Maus. The product of a broken family, Crouse had become an angry skinhead, the pastor said. He was under the care of a psychiatrist, who prescribed drugs to battle depression and other ailments. After turning his life over to Christ, Crouse no longer needed the psychiatric care and drugs, the pastor said.

Zach Chandler, the youth pastor of the church, said Crouse was on his way to becoming a missionary in Kazakhstan. "He said he was willing to give his life to do the work over there," Chandler said. "If that meant staying over there for the rest of his life, he would. If that meant dying over there, he would." Crouse taught himself Russian and German and would visit Russian cafes and German clubs in Anchorage to give his testimony, Chandler said. He also took rides on buses, just so he could share the Gospel with other riders, Chandler said.

Chandler said that if Crouse had been a survivor, he would have been the one leading prayers for the killer. "If Phil had ever seen this guy, I'm sure he ministered to him at some point," Chandler said. "If Phil was one of the surviving ones, he would have visited this guy in jail. That's the kind of guy Phil was."
(Staff writer Alison Sherry contributed to this report by Christopher N. Osher: 303-954-1747 or cosher@denverpost.com)

______________________________

The gunman, 24-year-old Matthew Muray, left Avarado and headed to New Life Church in Colorado Springs (which housed a YWAM office) where he opened fire in the parking lot, fatally shooting two church goers and wounding four others. When he tried to enter the crowded church, he was gunned down by a security guard.

Officials said revenge was one apparent motive for the attacks. Police said Murray had sent hate mail to the Youth With a Mission center in Arvada Denver suburb in the last few weeks after being removed from the program years ago. Murray attended the YWAM school in Arvada briefly in 2002 according to the group, but didn't complete the 12-week DTS training because of health issues.

It appears that Murray posted an anti-Christian diatribe on a web site for people who have left evangelical religious groups. His most recent post was Sunday morning in the hours between his attacks in Arvada and Colorado Springs.

"You Christians brought this on yourselves," he wrote. "All I want to do is kill and injure as many of you ... as I can especially Christians who are to blame for most of the problems in the world."

Hate Crimes are not random acts of violence. They are intended not only to inflict harm on the immediate victims, but intimidate an entire group of people; in this case, Christians. I can't help wondering, "What if Matthew had lived in my hometown?" What if he had lived in your hometown?

Around the world Christians are persecuted: beaten, imprisoned, killed; for no other reason than because of their belief that Jesus is God's Son and the world's Savior. The Voice of the Martyrs reports that more Christians have died for their faith in the past 100 years than the previous 1900 years combined!

These two young people are heroes in my book. Jesus, after his resurrection from the dead, told his disciples that they "would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth"--to their own neighbors, their region, across racial and cultural lines, reaching to peoples all around the world. The New Testament was written mostly in the Greek language. It is interesting that the word "witness" is the same word for "martyr". Jesus knew that his followers would be willing to give their lives for the Gospel, and that their sacrifice would be a powerful witness to the truth of their claims.

Phil and Tiffany were killed because they were Christ-followers. Matthew wanted to kill Christians, and sadly he did. We grieve with the families of all who were involved in the tragic events in Colorado this past Sunday. We take comfort in the knowledge that the story of their lives, and even their deaths, may point others to the power of God's love to change lives. Well done, good and faithful servants.