FROM SEPTEMBER 2009

EVERYTHING GOD KNOWS ABOUT ME HE DIDN'T LEARN FROM FACEBOOK

Okay, I admit it. I’ve been slow to get involved in the whole social networking thing. Call it laziness, stubbornness, procrastination or maybe a combination of all three. So recently I joined FaceBook and Twitter and threw my life and my thoughts out to the masses. Now I post photos, write notes, read and comment on others’ notes, and enjoy tracking down long lost pals from back in the day to check out what they’re up to, and more importantly, see what they all look like now.

It occurred to me that while social sites like FaceBook, Twitter and MySpace give others a glimpse into who I am, what I’ve been doing and what I’m all about, God has always been privy to this information. He knows me better than anyone because he created me. God doesn’t need to click on my FaceBook profile to touch base with me and catch up on all the goings on in my life. He already knows.

See, God is already way ahead of me. He knows me and my purpose and doesn’t need to frequently check out my FaceBook wall to find it out. It’s like the prophet Isaiah says in 49:1, “Before I was born the Lord called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name.” The same sentiment is echoed by Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you...”

While I tend to only think about today, God long ago planned for my tomorrows, my next weeks, my next months, my next years. He knows what he wants me to do, how and when he wants me to do it, and how he’s going to help me get to a place where I can fulfill his plan. I’m not saying he has predetermined my life’s course at all. I believe he gives us choice, but also opportunity. With all those opportunities God lays out before us, we choose to either go for it or back away. God knows what he wants from all of us, but we still have the free will to follow through and act on our faith or not.

Sometimes, it doesn’t ring fair. God knows us so intimately, but how well do we really know him? Imagine if God had a FaceBook, MySpace or Twitter page. I feel pretty certain that we’d all be curiously following along every day to see if we could get better insight into God’s world and mindset. We’d pour over his tweets, read his wall, check out his comments and notes, see who all his friends are. And if God was agreeable enough to post some photos, you know we’d all definitely check those out and probably crash a server or two when we did!

Yet, even if Almighty God himself did go online to blog and post messages, dispense advice and share spiritual wisdom, there would still be a great many who wouldn’t be convinced it was really him at all. They’d think it was an imposter and they would discount or ignore his postings altogether. It would be kind of like when Jesus performed all the amazing miracles. People were right there witnessing Jesus’ acts, but they would still be unconvinced of his holy authenticity and authority. They would justify their doubts and apprehensions by looking for sleight of hand or some other form of trickery and deceit.

So forget about God himself FaceBooking or Tweeting. If you think about it, God already gives us the ultimate insight into who he is and what he is all about. It’s called The Bible. From cover to cover, page after page, God reveals his supreme image with juicy little nuggets of joy, inspiration, teaching, love, forgiveness, hope, redemption, wisdom and every other good and blessed thing you could ever want to know about him, his mindset and his plans for us. And unlike the social networking sites, you don’t have to get approval to be God’s friend or post messages so he can get back with you later or give you permission to join his networking sphere.

Even if you haven’t been in contact with God for years, it’s always easy to reconnect. You can give him all your life details if you want, but remember, he already knows you, already loves you, already has a purpose for you. And best of all, you don’t even have to login, sign up or be near any wi-fi spot to stay in close contact with God. All you need is prayer and a receptive heart. Remember, he already knows who you are.

FROM MARCH 2009

FIVE TYPES OF CHRISTIANS WHO NEED YOUR PRAYERS NOW

I don’t know what kind of Christian you are, but I hope you’re one who is on fire for Christ, ready, willing and able to serve or share your faith whenever and wherever you’re called upon. If so, you’re in good company. There are millions of believers out there with that very same passion and commitment. But what about all those well-meaning (though often less than genuine) Christians who have annoying character traits that prevent them from being the kind of God-first believer the Lord wants? Who are they and what are we to do about them?

First off, let’s get real. Perfect only happens in integers and baseball games. We’re all sinners and fall way, way, way short of God’s glory. The Bible tells us so. So no matter how good and righteous we think we are, all of us have those pesky little qualms and quirks that make us less than perfect in God’s eyes. But for brevity’s sake, let’s focus on five types of Christians who need your prayers like right now to help get them off the schnide and back to being the kind of devoted follower God calls them to be. Maybe you know someone who fits the bill. Maybe it’s your spouse, your best friend, your kids, your coworker. Maybe it’s even (gasp!) you.

1. The Attention-Getter

There’s one in every church. The me-person who raises the most money for the new sanctuary, donates the most canned goods at the holiday food drive, never misses a Sunday worship service, hogs all the good corner writing space on Miss Betsy’s get well card. Yes, it’s all about them. They want all the glory—the shout-out from the pastor on Sunday morning, their name showcased in a big, bold font in the church bulletin, kudos from the congregation for a job well done. But don’t hate on them. It’s not the Christian way. They need your prayers, not your resentment or mockery. 

2. The Hypocrite

Ah yes, the hypocrite. The person who says and does one thing on Sundays, then goes out and does the exact opposite the rest of the week. They’re the ones flipping out for God today and flipping someone off tomorrow. Or writing a loving tithe on Sunday,  then writing a vicious and vindictive e-mail on Monday. Their actions give fine, upstanding Christians a bad name because they don’t—or won’t—practice what they preach on a regular basis (okay, so maybe we’ve all been guilty of that last one). But I’m talking hardened hypocrite here. So drop what you’re doing right now and pray that God stays on their case and leads them back to a more consistent Christian lifestyle.

3. The Do-Nothing Believer

They talk a good game, but when it comes down to actually giving up their time, money, talent or resources to serve the Lord, the church or others in need, the all-saying, do-nothing Christian has more excuses than enthusiasm. “I would do that but...” becomes the first words out of their mouth whenever the church comes a calling for help. Instead of getting frustrated with these guys and gals, clasp your hands together under your chin like your mother taught you and pray that God goes all forgiving on them. Ask God to help that person replace their “excuse-making, me first, won’t do” attitude with a more Christ-friendly “can’t wait to do it” kind of sacrificial love. And don’t be surprised when God makes something out of a do-nothing. 

4. The Control Freak

It’s their way or no way. Thinking they know best, this person takes charge from day one and never looks back, much less to God or church leaders for guidance. And open to new ideas or suggestions? Are you kidding? In their mind, they are the only one who knows how to get things done the “right” way. You’ve grinned. You’ve beared it. You’ve clenched your fists and bitten your tongue. So what’s a good Christian to do besides repeating under their breath, “Jesus loves them this I know?” Take it to God. Ask him to help them push aside their pride so the work of Jesus Christ can proceed the way he wants it done, not the way they want it done. It’s kind of a freaky concept—they do less so God can do more.

5. The Gossiper

You know who I’m talking about, right? The chatty Cathy or blabbering Bob freely wagging their tongues about this and that, stretching the truth and tossing around the innuendo (wink wink, nudge nudge). These motor mouths are real good about pointing out character flaws and social miscues in others’ lives, but they’re pretty bad about forgetting Jesus’ words in Matthew 7 where he talks about that whole “removing the plank before you point out the plank” thing. If they’re going to talk, at least pray they’re talking to God about how to change their gossip mongering ways. And when they do, that gives everyone something to talk about. Only, you know, in a good way. 

FROM FEBRUARY 2009