There's No Edit Button for Life

Do you remember manual typewriters? If you are over 40, (did I really just type that?) then you probably used one when you learned to type. I was fortunate to have learned to type on an electric typewriter, but I did have to put some time in on a manual “just in case”.  Anytime you made a mistake, regardless of the typewriter, you had to use little whiteout sheets in order to make the correction.  If it wasn’t lined up just so, then break out the whiteout. That was the early 80’s. 

By the late 80’s my electric typewriter and whiteout became a dinosaur with the release of a personal word processor.  It was one step up from an electric typewriter with no where near the capabilities of today’s word processors.  But, they were the first machines with editing abilities. The best part was being able to store your paper then go back to look it over before you printed it. If you had second thoughts or needed to make an addition to the paper it was easy to do with the edit button. We had the time to really think about what we were writing, in hopes of turning in the best work possible.

I think that is what is lacking today. We often do not stop to really think about what we are doing, saying, writing. There is no discernment, no discretion. There is also no edit button.

Today, taking a boudoir photo to “only” be sent to a boyfriend, may find a young lady’s reputation ruined when that picture is posted online. A spiteful text message to a friend about another person can come back to bite you by the end of the day. Let us also not forget that “big brother” is always watching. We have all seen news or television shows with videos of work place pranks, family moments, or “stupid criminals.” We haven’t even touched on the YouTube phenomenon. Cameras are everywhere, whether it is a security camera or someone’s cell phone.

We all need to face facts – THERE IS NO EDIT BUTTON FOR LIFE.  What we text, type, write, say and do is going to be captured somewhere, someway for someone we do not want to see, to see. We don’t have the option of do-overs. Once it is out there – it’s out there.

Many will say that it isn’t fair; our privacy is being invaded. But it is more than just technology capturing an unguarded moment of our lives. We do not have control over everything (particularly the cameras), but we do have control over what we say and do.  This is where discernment comes into play.

Discernment is being able to judge well, to be able to make good decisions. Other words associated with discernment are discriminating, wisdom, insight, and perception. A Titus 2 Woman is to be discreet, which indicates an ability to exhibit discernment in actions and speech. However, we see a growing lack of discernment in not only our young people, but in the adults as well. We see daily that people no longer feel compelled to be respectful to others, to esteem someone else better than themselves. (Philippians 2:3, Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.) We have a generation (or two) who sees that the needs (and wants) of the individual come first. Often this is exhibited by posting obscene, angry or bitter messages or raunchy and racy pictures without any consideration of how others may be affected or how those things may affect them in the future.

Are you a discerning person?  Do you think before you text? Do you guard what photos you place on Facebook or elsewhere? Do you consider that parents, a spouse, your employer, your teachers, your pastor sees the things that you write and post? Do you ask yourself how what you are doing could be interpreted or misinterpreted by someone on the outside? Do you take the time to make decisions, both great and small? 

Ecclesiastes 8:1-5: ¹Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed. 

²I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard of the oath of God. 

³Be not hasty to go out of his sight: stand not in an evil thing; for he doeth whatsoever pleaseth him. 

⁴Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou? 

⁵Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing: and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment. 

 

Love Can Build A Bridge......

Not too long ago Dan and I were watching a World War II classic, “The Bridge on the River Kwai.” I have seen the movie a couple of times but there was something in the movie that I had not paid attention to before.  As the British colonel Nicholson and his men inspect what the Japanese had completed, one of the men states that the bridge is going to have to be moved down river where there is bedrock.  The Japanese had built the pillars of the bridge on sandy ground; the bridge would fall with the first heavy load.  That got me thinking.

For the last several years, we have dealt with individuals who have left fundamentalism citing that it is “too harsh”, “too hateful”, “too….”.  To be honest, I really can’t argue with them.  I, too, have been victim of the “do as I say, not as I do” crowd; those Christians who are more focused on the do’s and don’ts, than they are on the people they are dealing with. These Christians are more focused on how they look on the outside rather than the on the relationship they have with Christ on the inside.  I have seen on more than one occasion a woman treated with disdain because she came to church in a pant suit, a teen ostracized because they were dressed in goth attire, or a man ignored because he was disheveled and smelled. These that have left their “roots” have gravitated to the complete opposite.  After all, if what they grew up with was “wrong”, then the complete opposite must be “right.” Now they propagate the philosophy of “love.”  When you try to talk to them about standards, Bible versions or doctrine you hear in return something to the effect, “We don’t worry about those things now; those are non-issues for us. We interpret those things differently than you. We just need to love people to Jesus.” In other words, “Love can build a bridge… to Jesus.”

While that sounds nice and sweet…. and loving, these believers are just as wrong in their “enlightenment” as their brothers and sisters in Christ who major on the minors. In order to be in either of the groups the individual is ignoring the WHOLE counsel of God in the Bible.  There is BALANCE in all Scripture.  There must be discipline and doctrine in the Christian walk just as much as there needs to be love.

But the whole “come as you are,” mega-church movement, which first championed the “love” philosophy that so many fundamentalists are now adopting, is a failure. Why? Just like that bridge in the movie, it was built and created on a weak foundation. Several years ago, following the release of the results of a multi-year study on the effectiveness of their programs and philosophy of ministry at Willow Creek, the founder of this movement, Bill Hybels, stated, “We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between services, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.” 

So, what is proposed to correct this? Greg Hawkins, co-author of the book, Reveal: Where Are You?, gave this summary, “Our dream is that we fundamentally change the way we do church. That we take out a clean sheet of paper and we rethink all of our old assumptions. Replace it with new insights. Insights that are informed by research and rooted in Scripture. Our dream is really to discover what God is doing and how he’s asking us to transform this planet.”

While it is admirable that they want to change, and I believe there are just as many fundamental churches that need to change, the “rethink,” “informed by research” and “rooted in Scripture” aspects of the statement bothers me. The plan for the “dream to really discover what God is doing and how he’s asking us to transform this planet” is already written.  It is already planned. We don’t need to “rethink” or “research” anything.  We need to LEARN it.

I have been reading through the New Testament and came to 2 Peter 1 when something struck me that I believe goes along with the above. (Bold and underlined added for emphasis.)

2 Peter 1:4-10: ⁴Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

⁵And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; ⁶And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; ⁷And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.


⁸For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  ⁹But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.  ¹⁰Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Isn’t it interesting the order in which these things are placed?  I believe that the Lord had a reason for ordering them in this way. To our faith we are to add virtue; to do that which is right while avoiding that which is wrong. To virtue we are to add knowledge. Knowledge is the condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association (2) : acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique. (MerriamWebster.com) In this case, it would be to increase our knowledge of God’s Word. To knowledge we are to add temperance. This is simply moderation or restraint.  Isn’t it interesting that first we must have faith, and then we are to begin to do right things as opposed to wrong things led by our new understanding through the Holy Spirit even before we have knowledge of God’s Word? This could be as simple as being kind or turning away from a vice. We are also to study God’s Word so that more can be revealed to us because this will also bring moderation and restraint in how we live our lives.


But there is even more.  To temperance we are to add patience. We are to handle trials calmly, without complaint; we are to manifest forbearance, or tolerance, when under stress or strain. To patience we are to add godliness. According to Webster-dictionary.net, this is defined as careful observance of, or conformity to, the laws of God; the state or quality of being godly. Then, we are to add brotherly kindness. The Greek word for “brotherly kindness” is transliterated “philadelphia”. It describes that we are to have love toward our fellow Christians. Finally, we are to add to brotherly kindness charity. Charity is defined as a benevolence or goodwill toward humanity, a generosity toward those who are poor or in need.


Hmmm. To faith we are to add doing right and not doing wrong.  We are to increase our knowledge of the Bible. We are to live our lives with moderation and restraint.  We are to calmly handle our trials and show tolerance for others. THEN, we are to show love toward our fellow Christian and love to those who are in need.


It seems to me that there are many of us who have our “religion” all wrong.  Some have stopped on the front end of the list and only focus on the do’s and don’ts – virtue. Others have skipped to the end of the list and only focus on love – charity.  Both are wrong.


Where are knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness and brotherly kindness? Since when is it okay to pick and choose what it is that we will or will not do according to God’s Word? We cannot continue to cling to our pet passages.


It is time to get back to the Bible so that we can hold fast to the truth of the whole counsel of God’s Word. Make sure your foundation.

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Just checking in for a moment....


If you are on Facebook, you can "like" our page, Hold Fast the Truth Ministry.  We will be sharing website up dates as well as ministry happenings from there.  There will also be tips for children and youth ministries, helpful links and information for churches and families, as well as encouragement for you.

Exciting Things Occuring

It has been quite some time since I have written here.  But I do have some really good reasons. Really, I do.


First, I spent the summer finishing the first draft of a book. Then sent it out for review. It has been on the back burner for a few months.  Hopefully, I'll be getting back to finishing the re-write sooner rather than later in the near future.


Second, we sent Nathan off to college. August was busy just gathering and packing all the stuff for college. And then....  Let's just say that trying to get adjusted to the new flow and routine around the house was a little difficult.  You don't really realize how much your schedule evolves around your kids.  With so much time left on my hands I SHOULD have been blogging away. Instead, I spent a great deal of time cleaning, organizing and other activities around the house.


And, finally,  Dan tasked me with the job of getting our ministry website back up and running.  This sent waves of fear through me for a few months as I procrastinated because of the whole "I don't know anything about HTML" situation.  Thankfully, we have a wonderful computer geek on our church staff who designed and established the bones of the site. He even set it up so that I pretty much can just copy/paste most of the stuff and simply change the pertinent info.  Once I got used to that I've been a little braver and have ventured out to find coding features on my own.  Don't ask me to build a site.  But I can at least work on ours now without having to call our computer guru every other day. (Which was exactly what I was doing for the first MONTH!) The website is now to such a point that I am happy to invite you to go visit. I'll post more about what you will find later, but for now, go check it out at www.churchhelps.org.


So, I've said all that to say, that in the next month or so I will be setting up a writing schedule to help me focus on blogging, book writing and editing.  {Dan is a slave driver... I can only do three or four things at a time! ;-)}