The power of teh cross is...

    It is getting into the stretch run for the National Hockey League (NHL) and teams are jockeying for playoff spots and positions.  The Minnesota Wild are trying to improve their playoff position.  Paul Allen (Vikings VOX and KFAN radio personality) has come up with the a slogan to help get the Wild fans on board for the playoff push and it is "does the power of the Christmas colors compel you" (the Wilds colors are read and green).  I think in essence what this statement is saying is how does this team and the team colors get you to root for a team and to help them get over the edge into the playoffs and to win Lords Stanleys Cup.  I am a Wild fan and I listen to a lot of their games, but how does cheering for a hockey team suppose affect how I live my life and the lives around me.  I think there is something greater that we should be compelled by and that is the cross.  The Apostle Paul exhorts the church in Corinth and even us today about what or who we consider wise.  I think there are several things we can learn from Paul's exhortation and the power of the cross. 

  The first one is that the cross unifies.  In Paul's day, just as it is today, there was a fraction in the church based on who people listened to.  Some People followed Paul, others Cephas and others Apollos, which created tension in the church on which one was the better preacher or even Christian.  We have the same argument today, whether it is the debate between Reformed and Arminian theology, to the preachers we love to either love and listen too or vilify.  Paul tells us that non of these ideas died and covered our transgressions, nor do they have the ability to.  The only thing that can is the cross of Christ.  The cross is not suppose to divide the people of God, but it is suppose to unify people together for a common goal.  All things should be seen through the lens of not only a crucified Savior who died on that cross, but was raised from its death.  It brings into focus what is important and not to make mole hills into mountains. 

The second idea of the cross is that it equalizes.  In essence, we are all equal at the foot of the cross.  Instead of fighting over who is greater or dehumanizing certain groups of people, the cross puts us all on equal ground.  In the Middle East, the terror group ISSIS have been terrorizing different groups of people and land marks.  We are all outraged when the Christians are being attacked and killed for their faith, but when other groups of people are facing the same problems, are we making the same amount of noise at the inhumanity of the actions of ISSIS.  As a Christian, there is no such thing as Greek or Jew, but we all are created in the image of God.  The mark of a maturing Christian is not how they care for their own, but how they treat and care and treat people who are completely different then them and who is even their enemy.  

    The third thing that the cross does for us is that it provides the way for salvation.  There is no other way to be saved and to have a right relationship with God except for the acceptance of Christ death on the cross.  We may try to find different ways to get saved, and most of them are on the basis of what we can do, or not do.  We often turn salvation into a works orientated adventure to see how good we are and to work our way into heaven.  If we could become more enlightened and work our way into heaven, there would be no point for the cross and Jesus would of died a meaningless death.  The cross is God drawing the line in the sand and providing a way for us to be saved.  This is so that we can not get confused and think that our salvation and life is all about us.

   The fourth thing that the cross does, is that it invites us to come and partake of it.  This doesn't mean that we all need to carry a physical cross around or even have a literal death on a cross, but we are crucifying our will to Gods will.  It is a realization that God knows what is best for us and has our best interest in mind.  In order for us to be apart of God's plan, we need to put ours aside or even to death.  As the popular saying goes, no one can serve to masters, because one will end up being hated and the other loved.  When we serve those two masters, ourselves and God, we end up becoming whishy washy and we become luke warm.  Becoming a mature Christian requires all of our attention, and the only way to do it is to participate in the death of Christ so that we may be raised with Him.  It is coming the idea that its not about me anymore and its about God.  A good practice to see what one we are living for, is to see which one we are feeing.  Do we feed our own selfish desires, or do we feast on the Word of God.  If you don't feed something, it will die from starvation.  So how does the power of the cross compel you.  Does it compel to lead a life lead by the Spirit and the power of God, or do we just scoff at it and call it pointless.  There is no middle ground

Go and Do

      One of my favorite social media games to pay attention to is changing the title of songs to make something else. One example is taken the famous song Let it Go from the movie frozen and making it into, "what if Bella didn't let it go?" or the play on REM's famous song Loosing My Religion to what if the band didn't loose their religion.  I feel like the changing of the song titles is a way that the artist or bands do not follow the advice of their own songs, not matter how great that advice might be.  I came to the conclusion that we are no different, how often do we ask for advice and not take it, or the advice we give to others, we really need apply to our lives.  Here is the troubling idea, how often do we do this with God.  We ask God to show us the way and then we take it under advisement and either follow it half heartedly or avoid it all together.  We tend to become enraged when people do this to us, so why do we do it to God? In essence, we are being double minded and the Bible has a few things to say about it.

   The book of James states that people who are double minded are unstable.  I think that being double minded does not mean we can not have doubts or question things, but it is our response to that advice from friends or what God is calling us to do.  Here is my question, if we ask for direction or advice, and not follow it, we are really just trying to justify our own actions and to make ourselves feel better.  Self justification is more about asking the question of how much can I get away with, with the least amount of consequences. Its taking the song from Bon Jovi "Its My Life" and making it ones personal anthem.  Being double minded means that we are taking control of our lives and that we run from thing to thing that makes us happy and feels good for the moment. 

  The other aspect of being double minded is that we devalue others and God.  One of the biggest ways we devalue God and others is that when we are given advice or direction from God, we take it under advisement, but we do nothing with it.  In all reality, we don't care what others thing unless they are petting our ego, or the advice is something we want to hear.  People and God become pawns in our lives that we use to get what we want.  This form of knowledge gaining has no interest into putting it into practice, because that would take work, risk and faith.  In essence we are being lazy because we want the knowledge without the experience.  Wisdom is knowing who to listen to and what to do, while putting it into practice.

   The other side of the coin is the issue of doubt.  One side of the coin is that we consider it a badge of honor when we doubt and to question everything.  This is good, but at some point we need faith and obedience.  The other side is the phrase that bugs the tar out of me and it is "you just got to have faith." It leaves no room for questioning, reason, and growth.  I also find this phrase to be disingenuous and it assumes that life should be full of roses.  If one is always full of faith and gun ho, there is something that is wrong, along with someone who is always in doubt and questioning.  God has given us a brain along with reason, we should and need to use it.  I think there are two big takeaways here.  God has promised us the Holy Spirit to comfort and to commune with.  Are we taking time to communicate with God.  It is not only speaking to God, but listening to Him also.  Whether it is through Scripture reading, prayer, journaling, worship, or a host of any other ways, communication is key.  The other is seeking out wise counsel. Having people in your life who know you and God well and loves the both of you is important.  God often speaks through and provides comfort to His people by other people.  The only way we can take the full advantage of this is if we are in full communion with God.

     To sum it up, where we get our advice and who we get it from is very important.  We also need use our God given intellect to figure things out.  But here is where the rubber meets the road. in order to not be considered double minded, are we putting what we know to practice.  There is an element of faith that is involved.  Sometimes it is putting one foot in front of the other.  Faith is trusting God and following His lead.  We should stop asking what to do from God and others when we have no intentions of following it.