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Had the phrase “marriage equality” been coined in the 1970s, it may have had reference to an equality of shared responsibilities in the home between a man and a woman. It would have been a phrase that could have given birth to the 1983 box office hit, Mr. Mom.
“Marriage equality,” however, is a more recent addition to the ever-changing vocabulary associated with the LGBT community. “Marriage equality” is the term that will be forever remembered as the rallying cry for the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States, which by the way seems to be inevitable.
Proponents of “marriage equality” and LGBT rights have long argued that denying marriage and other rights to LGBT individuals is akin to the narrow-minded views that denied people of color rights and privileges in this nation for far too long. Those who have opposed positions the LGBT community have advanced have been labeled bigots, intolerant, narrow-minded, and hateful.
From a sociological/secular perspective, the issue of “marriage equality” on the face seems to be an open and shut case. If governments are willing to offer all of the rights and privileges of marriage to same-sex couples, why should they be denied the label of marriage? Should the fact that same-sex couples cannot procreate keep them from marriage (this seemed to be the main argument from Charles Cooper before the United States Supreme Court yesterday)? If that is the case, then infertile couples should not be afforded marriage. Perhaps fertility screening should be administered before marriage licenses are issued. If procreation is the only reason why the state has a vested interest in keeping marriage between opposite-sex couples, the reason seems to be removed when the state allows same-sex couples the right to adopt. Sociologically there seems to be no rationale for denying the label of marriage to one man and one woman. Marriage equality, as it has been termed, seems an eminent reality in the United States.
Marriage, however, means something more to me as a follower of Jesus Christ. I understand the secular reasoning for same-sex marriage, but I cannot equate same-sex marriage with what I know and believe marriage to be as a follower of Jesus Christ. As a pastor, I cannot even affirm that a majority of legalized heterosexual marriages in the United State are equal to what the Bible reveals marriage to be.
Biblical marriage is meant to be first and foremost a picture of Jesus and His Bride (the Church). It is a covenant between man and woman to love one another, reflecting the covenant of God’s love through Jesus Christ. Marriage is a union where husband and wife submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (see Ephesians 5:21). Marriage is designed by God to bring about a greater devotion to God in the life of both the husband and wife (see Ephesians 5:26-27). Marriage is designed to be a picture of grace and forgiveness as husbands and wives demonstrate the love of God to one another.
Needless to say, heterosexual couples have done much to undo the meaning of biblical marriage (no-fault divorce, faithlessness to one another, etc.). Marriage equality will only further distance state marriage from biblical marriage. The state, however, does not maintain nor practice biblical marriage; there is a separation of church and state in our nation. It is my sincere hope that the church will distance itself from state marriage in the future, and seek to maintain the purity of biblical marriage. I’m not certain of all the implications, but I am certain that the church has the duty and obligation to keep this covenant sacred.
For those who are followers of Jesus, and defenders of biblical marriage, this changing cultural tide should cause you to examine your beliefs and convictions of marriage. Does your marriage have a greater meaning than found in a certificate issued by the state? The United States is about to embark into what Justice Kennedy today called “uncharted waters,” and only genuine revival will bring the kind of change Christians desire.
Here’s what I would encourage all viewers of The Bible Part 4 to do. Read your Bible, and then read it again. And then, find a good Bible commentary, as well as a good mentor who has a solid foundation of the Scriptures and could help you better understand God’s Word.
There is SO much about this episode I found disappointing, somewhat frustrating and even confusing. And even with all this negativity, I did find a few bright moments.
I’m not going to list all the issues I had with this show. There are just too many. I will offer two big flaws, and then to balance it out, I will mention three positives from this show.
Flaw No. 1 – who was this Mary character? I’m not talking about Mary, Jesus’ mother, played by Roma Downey (by the way, she looked beautiful, even angelic or was touched by one). I’m talking about the Mary who went everywhere with the apostles and seemed to have too significant of a role in Jesus’ earthly ministry.
I’m guessing this is supposed to be Mary Magdalene, but I never heard directly in the show. If it were mentioned, it may have been during one of the many times I had to let my dog outside.
The mini-series is treading on dangerous grounds with this depiction. Nowhere in the Gospels can you find this woman having such a major part in the events that were featured.
According to this show, and contrary to the written Word, she took parts from Peter, John, Philip and maybe even others. This, my friends, is blasphemy.
What also makes this very troublesome is it yields to the false reports of Mary being the wife of Jesus. I don’t think I need to say any more.
Flaw No. 2 – The words of Jesus are cut short, or His actions apparently were not accurate. Much can be said about the actual manuscripts of the Bible. I don’t intend to go into that because I don’t have the credentials.
And I have said from the beginning, latitude would be allowed for some things, and offering a variance on what the characters say would be accepted if there isn’t blasphemy or a clear steering away from what is told in Scriptures in order to promote an alternative message.
I was disappointed while listening to the man playing the role of Jesus. His teachings did not line up accordingly or were misapplied. The scene with the adulterous woman brought by the Jewish leaders to be stoned portrayed Jesus inaccurately. For one, He was not shown writing in the dirt, but instead He is shown holding a rock, giving a dramatic speech.
This may seem petty, but I think it’s more powerful (and accurate) to show Jesus remaining calm, “stooping down and writing on the ground with His finger” (John 8:6). This error, however, is not as glaring as another one I noticed.
During the scene of the Last Supper, Jesus quotes John 14:6. Thankfully, they did get the exchange correct, involving Thomas asking the question and not Mary, the scene-stealer.
But Jesus’ response is clearly cut short: “I am the way, the truth and the life…”
I sat there waiting… waiting… waiting… Surely these great theologians who are advising Mark Burnett won’t allow this profound statement, crucial in expressing the Gospel message, to be stopped at mid-point. Alas, they did, and it was.
Dear friends, please understand, as important as it is for people to come to the understanding that Jesus IS the way, the truth and the life, it is equally important for them to know that “No one comes to the Father except through Me (Jesus).” This is the greatest disappointment of the whole mini-series.
So there are negatives. Here are some positives I took from the show.
First, I enjoyed watching Jesus heal the leper. Visual effects were spectacular. The leper’s face was so grossly deformed, he resembled the Elephant man. Yet, we get to view a great reenactment of his healing.
Second, I enjoyed the scene of Nicodemus and Jesus talking at night. This is one of my favorite stories featured in the Gospels. Everyone should read John 3 and study this exchange between an educated man who is revered as a community leader and the Son of God. Most importantly, everyone should learn that from this inconspicuous conversation originates the greatest message ever given to mankind (John 3:16).
Lastly, the final positive did not come directly from the show but from hearing of those who watched. My cousin Mauri posted on Facebook a discussion she had with her young son, Silas. “Mommy, did Jesus WANT to die on the cross?” he asked after watching this show.
Mauri said Jesus wanted what his Father wanted more than what He wanted. He wanted to sacrifice His life so that others, including Silas, would have eternal life.
Even with the blasphemy displayed in this show, the Gospel message can still ring true.
“What does it matter? Just that in every way, whether out of false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed. And in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice” (Phil. 1:18).
He doesn’t really grasp abstract concepts like God and Jesus yet. He’s pretty sure Spiderman hung the moon in the sky.
I try not to get too fussy about it; I know these things take time. And if I am honest, prayer is one of my weakest spiritual disciplines.
I still remember sitting in a class for young seminary wives as the teacher went over a prayer notebook she had given us. The weight of the notebook was like a load of guilt on my heart as she explained how we ought to be systematically praying over each aspect of life, ministry, country, family, etc, on a daily and weekly schedule, so as to insure we didn’t miss anything.
I think I gave up right then and there.
This is how Ben closes his eyes.
So, I am circling back, kneeling down, and asking God to teach me.
Teach me to pray. I’m ready now. And I’m beginning to see this: prayer is this way of making the invisible kingdom visible. For we live in this loud world, but we serve this quiet, invisible God.
In the Old Testament, the priest burned incense in the temple, and it pleased the Lord, and the priest prayed for the people of Israel.
But now, we kneel or we close our eyes, or we lift them up in prayer, and the Holy Spirit swells within us, rising to God with the fragrant aroma of burning holiness and this is our incense now.
And if we could see it, the power of these quiet, invisible prayers, rising to heaven and filling Revelation’s golden bowls before His throne, I wonder if we wouldn’t struggle so much to pray.
Abba Father inhales the sweet scent of our whispered words and He is pleased.
We believe in this invisible kingdom, we trust in You as Father, and so we pray, Thy will be done. So be it. Revelation 5:8 “…each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”
Psalm 141:2 “May my prayer be counted as incense before You; the lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.”
There she stood, all forty-eight inches of her, blonde head thrown back, soft arms outstretched above and behind her, a gold medal smile on her lightly freckled face. Nearby, a handful of enthusiastic three year olds applauded.
“Do it again!” a little boy cried, hopping up and down.
Curious, I paused to watch. The little girl’s mother sighed, but smiled and waited patiently for her daughter.
With deliberate steps, the tiny gymnast walked into the corner of the room, turned, and took a deep breath. Suddenly, thrusting her chest forward and her back end out, she struck the same pose as before. Looking like the most adorable little hood ornament you have ever seen, she had apparently “stuck” another incredible imaginary landing. More applause.
Walking away, I couldn’t help but wonder whether the little girl might actually become a seasoned and successful gymnast someday. I think she stands a chance if she learns an actual routine and keeps getting the kind of encouragement I witnessed.
A little encouragement goes a long way, you know.
I understand the rising popularity of Christian satire. I’ve read Stuff Christians Like, and I follow Jon Acuff on Twitter. The man cracks me up, and I believe, as he does, that Christians should be able to laugh at themselves. However, I don’t believe that we should laugh at or openly criticize one another, especially when there are non-believers and seekers in the audience. Lately, it seems that “satirists” with far less skill, experience, and discernment than Jon Acuff are doing more damage than good with their careless words.
There is a distinct difference between satire and criticism. Satire encourages us to take a look at ourselves; criticism strips the Body of Christ bare before the world. Satire encourages us to course correct; criticism condemns us. Satire takes the sting out of loving rebuke; criticism shames us. Satire can be done in love; criticism is selfish. Not sure where your words fit? Check your motives. Are you striving to encourage, instruct, and disciple others with your words, or are you venting frustration? Who is glorified by your words?
Here’s the truth: none of us are perfect, and we won’t be until we get to Heaven and Jesus finishes the work that He began in us. In the meantime, God is busy teaching and molding us according to our individual circumstances. We don’t learn the same lessons at the same time and so have to be careful about assuming that others should already know what God just taught us. So what if you know the whole routine and all your brother knows is how to “stick” a landing? He’ll get there (and so will you) if we take the gloves off and offer applause instead.
The day I wrote this post, the weather was a gorgeous 75 degrees and we enjoyed one of our first tastes of spring. I don’t know about you, but with the changing of the seasons I’m ready for some fresh outfits!
Although I have plenty of choices in my closet, sometimes I need some new ideas for how to mix up what I already have to make a cute new outfit. Today I wanted to show you some fun outfits to try as we transition from winter to warmer weather. With chilly mornings and warm afternoons, layers are great! Hopefully you can create a similar look with pieces you already own. But, if you need to supplement your wardrobe a bit, here are some classic pieces to consider adding:
These pieces don’t have to be expensive. TJ Maxx, Ross, Target, and Marshall’s are great places to find current fashions for a reasonable price. I’ve even added some classic pieces to my wardrobe from the thrift store lately!
What’s your favorite piece in your closet for spring?
Some time in the early ‘90s, a couple of techies in Silicon Valley were hanging out at a park when they caught a glimpse of a weasel scurrying by with a slice of wrapped American cheese. They knew in an instant it must be the Cheese Weasel delivering a piece of cheese to some good little techie. After all, someone must be showing all the good techie boys and girls some appreciation.
And so began the story that morphed into the urban myth of the Cheese Weasel who brings cheese to the good little tech industry workers. Each April 3rd the Cheese Weasel leaves a piece of cheese under their mouse pads.
Since that time, the celebration of the Cheese Weasel has grown and become an Internet holiday tradition that celebrates the contributions of workers in the tech industry. Tech workers get a lot of grief from people and are often under-appreciated. Cheese Weasel Day is a fun way to say thank you to them.
Over the years people have made art, music, prose and poetry to support and celebrate the myth of the Cheese Weasel. It’s all for fun and just to be nice to people who do a lot of good things for us.
I like to think of CWD as the milk of human kindness, curdled. As we all know, kindness is a fondue-mental human need.
So, what is your contribution to the Cheese Weasel Day fun going to be this April 3rd?
Give your favorite tech person a Thank You shout out using #cheeseweaselday on Twitter and Facebook
Send someone you know in the tech sector a Cheese Weasel Day Greeting card from the evangelism website MostImportantThing.org. Here are their Cheese Weasel Day E-cards.
Arrange secretly for a slice of cheese to be placed under the mouse pad of a tech person you know. [Check back in a few days to make sure they found the cheese. Just to be sanitary. I mean, if they don’t know about it and leave it there indefinitely, it could start to smell like Limburger.]
Sitting in my office early one morning recently, I tried to pray for someone who’s hurting. Hurting very badly.
And I almost couldn’t do it.
Because in prayer, we enter into the person’s pain, feel it with them, and try to assuage it by bearing the burden to the Father on their behalf.
We come with our own pains sometimes and so maybe we limp into His presence, already feeling heavy with the weight of ourselves.
We feel the gentle press of the Spirit in sympathy, in burden, in heaviness, and we know we must make great effort to clear out distraction, set ourselves aside, and pray. Sometimes we have to roll aside the massive weight of our own selfish hearts.
So, through prayer, we become the friends of the paralytic, hoisting a corner of the mat and heading for Jesus. And maybe, mysteriously, we lighten the load. Maybe, in a sense, that injured person lifts up weary head with tired neck, and sees Jesus in sight where once was darkness and defeat.
That invisible Holy Spirit blows through a mind cluttered with fear and worry, and suddenly hope lights up on the wind, like a kite soaring.
While few Christians may have read all seven books in C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, a vast majority are familiar with the second book in the series.
The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe. What an interesting name to those who may not have heard it before. I will not spend much time summarizing the plot of this fairy tale, which has threads of Christian theology throughout. It tells the tale of four siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy– who leave for the English countryside during air raids in London during WWII. They stay at the large house of a distinguished professor and find a magic wardrobe during a game of hide-and-seek that leads them to another world, the world of Narnia.
Narnia is a magical world, with fauns, talking animals and centaurs and a white witch holding the whole of the realm under her dictatorship. The white which, who represents Satan, tricks the young boy Edmund into betraying his siblings and all of what is good in Narnia. In the story, there is a lion named Aslan (who represents Christ) who comes to save Edmund—and all of Narnia–from the clutches of the white witch.
There is no way to capture the power of the story without reading it. Even theatrical and movie depictions cannot do justice to the way Lewis brings the character of Christ to life, as well as the meaning of his atoning death.
In an age that admires non-Christian fantasy books, parents, children and people of any age would do better to read this first installment of the Narnia series. Not only is it well written, it turns our hearts to eternal matters. Skeptics who have their guard up against any preaching or ordinary ministry may find that they can best hear God’s voice where they least expected to – in a children’s book.
In April, I will have been divorced for 5 years. Before that I was married for 5 years. I say that as a reference to you before you read any further. I don’t claim to know much of anything about having a successful relationship or tips on how to make a marriage work. However, as I said, I have lived half my adult life married and the other half single. So I have perspective on both. I’ve reached through the fence a few different times, thinking the grass was greener and turns out it’s not.
Here are my thoughts on this dilemma to us single folks….
Whether you’ve been married before or not….whether you are in a “serious” relationship or not, God does care about you. As much as we may think this entire world is created for those happily married folks prancing around holding hands and making-out in front of us, God actually did create this world for single people too.
I know, I know. Married people seem to have all the perks. They’ve got the built in cuddle buddy, the partner to go to the movies with, the encourager waiting for them at home after a tough day and the cook when you’re broke and hungry (not to mention the lover).
But here is the reality from where I see it, and I am not saying this is good or bad, just that it seems to be the reality. Most married people, if they were honest, would say they often think about what life would be like if they were single. They have the same “grass is always greener” thoughts about being single that you have on being married.
Single people want to be married and married folks want to be single.
So how do we overcome this longing we feel, the hurt it carries with it and the jealously that teems inside?
For me it comes down to two things. Gratitude and Contentment. Finding one, if not both of these characteristics in every aspect of our life as a “single” person, can give you a freedom and purpose for this season of your life.
Simple in theory. Excruciatingly difficulty to dwell on in reality. But here are some verses I’ve found that may help you really grab on to the truth that God does have a plan for this single season you have found yourself in.
Not that I speak from want; for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity.Philippians 4:11-12
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”Psalm 46:10
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.Proverbs 3:5-6
A tranquil heart is life to the body, But passion is rottenness to the bones.Proverbs 14:30
So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you, He’ll promote you at the right time.1 Peter 5:6-7
If they obey and serve him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment.Job 36:11
But godliness with contentment is great gain.Psalm 68:3
Being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”Hebrews 13:5
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”Joshua 1:9
Hold on to these verses on the days where all you want is to have the “perfect” marriage and family that your neighbor has or when you are at the next wedding longing to know when that day will come for you. Grab on to some gratitude and thank God that you have the freedom that being single provides for you today. I can assure you that if you are following God’s will for your life, the freedom you have been given is specifically in place for you to accomplish something great, to learn something new about life, to grow up, to mature in your decision making, to gain more perspective or maybe to discover something you never knew about yourself.
Look, I know being single sucks. I get it. Trust me, I really do. But I can tell you with 100% confidence that I am single right now for a reason. God is not surprised by it and He will not let it go to waste. But I have to trust Him; my faith at times has to exponentially grow. As I do this and walk through season after season without a partner I become more and more content that God is in charge and I am not. And that feels good.
I’ve had my stint running my life and I didn’t do so well. So for now, I am striving for contentment and gratitude in my singleness. Purposely taking action to control my contentment, live in gratitude and preparing myself for the next season of life. One I hope comes with a smoking hot wife….
The Bible Part 3 had some satisfactory elements. Okay, I admit it. I was disappointed they didn’t start off with Solomon, as I predicted last week.
Solomon is one of many Bible characters who fascinate me, and I think it would help modern minds to know there actually was someone on the earth who was worth more than Bill Gates. Alas, they chose to go a different direction.
The show began with an Old Testament character I did not know very well. They didn’t teach King Zedekiah in my childhood Sunday School classes, as far as I can remember. So, I did what this mini-series is enticing viewers to do. I got out my Bible and read up on the Zedster.
It was an interesting portrayal that wove stories involving Jeremiah and Daniel. There were some inaccuracies presented. Jeremiah’s part seems correct. The prophet did prophesy that Babylon would conquer Judah, but it was interesting watching Jeremiah walk into the king’s court placed in stocks. Daniel, however, was not placed in captivity during Zedekiah’s reign, and Daniel was not known as Daniel while he was in Judah.
I expected King Nebuchadnezzar to be a crazy man. The actor did not disappoint. However, when he threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the fiery furnace, it wasn’t very fiery. I was disappointed that they didn’t show the king ordering the furnace to be “seven times” hotter, and men who were in charge of throwing the trio in the fire did not die from the raging flames (Dan. 3:19, 22).
From Daniel, we move to the focus on Jesus. The traditional Christmas story and all its subplots were expressed. Joseph and Mary… King Herod and Wise Men… Shepherds, angelic messengers… mostly the details as we traditionally are presented with, though I am confident nit-pickers could have a field day with the details.
There were some violent scenes that involved Romans crucifying Jews who attempted to rebel. This was powerful. When Joseph and Mary were returning from Egypt they noticed the many crucifixions on the hills as they passed. Of course, there is no mention of this, but history recounts that death by crucifixion was plenteous in that day. This helps viewers understand this dreadful fact.
One of the things shown that I do applaud was the portrayal of John the Baptist baptizing people by immersion. The Southern Baptist in me almost made me jump up from my recliner and pump the air!
The temptation of Jesus was interesting. The Devil speaks with a Hispanic accent and has long black finger nails. He also could double as a Sith Lord.
As the Devil is tempting Jesus, we see visions that Christ has that involve allurement, but then we also see visions of His eventual crucifixion. This is a fascinating depiction, basically trying to imagine what Christ may have been thinking during this ordeal.
The show’s final scene has Jesus encountering Peter alone in his boat. Andrew was not with him, but Jesus has Peter go out to fish, and they experience the catching of fish in abundance. Jesus tells Peter he will make him a fisher of men, and then Peter asks Jesus, “What are we going to do?”
The actor portraying Jesus responds, “Change the world.” Of course, there’s no reference of this exchange in the Scriptures. I suppose in one sense, Jesus does indeed invoke life-changing experiences during his earthly ministry, but the producers should have stuck to the Biblical script.
The question from here would be will the mini-series give the direct process of how Jesus changed the world. For that, we will have to tune in and see.
P.S. I recognize The Bible is drawing wide praise and criticism. I think it is important to note the History Channel is the one putting this on. The History Channel, who normally airs opinions of higher critics and secular scholars who criticize the Bible, is attempting to portray the Biblical story, albeit a “Hollywood-ized” version. Be that as it may, I am glad many in America are having their interest in the Bible piqued through the series, and, as I have already alluded, Christians are being challenged to compare its portrayal versus the actual sacred text.
