Does God Help Students Pass Tests?

"As long as there are tests,
there will be prayer in school."

Get it? Get it? Kids will pray for God to miraculously intervene, see, because they didn't study.

But will He? Does God intervene to help someone because they make a last-minute deal with Him? "God, I promise that if you help me with this, I'll go to church... pray more... be nice to my sister..."
Hmmm. I have a feeling God might see through that. I'm not saying He doesn't help us when we don't deserve it; I just think He's more inclined to let us experience the consequences of our actions. Test scores have borne this out. Study and you do well. Skip studying and pray as you walk in... not so much.

I do believe God answers prayer, but not (usually) in a spectacular way. Here's how it works: I pray well before the test day. I don't just pray for a list of "Stuff God should do for me." I thank him for my family, and for the rain, and I ask him to comfort my friend whose dad died, and, yeah, I pray that I'll do well in school.
Then, still in a positive state of mind, I get my books out and study. I get a good night's sleep. Oh, and I say a quick prayer again when I'm waiting for the test. It can't hurt, right? And...

A miracle!

I pass my test!

So, yes. I believe God does help students pass tests.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Peace, Love, Prayer

Holy Week: A Story of Human Frailty.

Starting with Palm Sunday, the day that Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-11) and culminating in Jesus rising from the dead, the people around Jesus, even his closest companions acted like hypocrites, cowards, liars and turncoats. These were the same people who, on Sunday morning, held an impromptu parade for him, saying:

“Hosanna!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Mark 11:9-10

Within a few days these same people called for his death. Why?

He wasn't acting the way we wanted Him to. He wasn't saving people from their (earthly) oppressors. In fact, the first two things he did were to curse a fig tree (which I'm sure had people scratching their heads) and turn over the money-changers' table at the temple. (Hey, wait Jesus! We're the good guys. We're not the ones you're supposed to get mad at!) Then He was walking around talking a bunch of nonsense about "remembering him when he was gone." Before the week ended, he was dead... killed and denied by his own people.

Hypocrites. Cowards. Murderers.

When I feel frail and inadequate, I remind myself that I'm probably not much worse than the people that Jesus loved the most.

Peace, Love, Grace

God Wants You

Yet even now, says the Lord,

Return to me with all your heart,

With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;

Rend your hearts and not your clothing.

Return to the Lord, your God,

for he is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love,

and relents from punishing.

Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,

and leave a blessing behind him,

a grain-offering and a drink-offering

for the Lord, your God?

Joel 2:12-14

What I’d like to say to the people of Westboro Baptist Church:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:43...

But they wouldn't listen anyway. "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:8

God is love.

God IS love.

God is LOVE!

Peace, Love, Coexist

My Head Hurts

Recently, in trying to research what I believe (that sounds a bit absurd already) I've had all these new terms thrown at me... Emerging Christians (or is it emergent?) neo-charismatic, radical center (I kind of like that one), substitutionary atonement... My head is spinning.

While I really admire theologians for all their hard brain-work, I'm not a theologian; I'm a pretty simple-minded human. Sometimes I just want to curl up under the sheets and forget about it all.

Meanwhile, I'll just do the best I can: love God and love my neighbor, as the Bible says to do. (Luke 10:27) Some days that's all I can do.

Am I wrong? Will I go to hell if I don't understand the nature of the Trinity? I don't think so. I don't think God expects us to fully understand Him. After all, He's bigger than we are.

Peace, Love, Hope

A Third View on the "Gay Issue."

I've decided it’s time for me to come out of the closet. This is really hard, because I haven't spoken to another person with my problem. (I feel so alone.)

See… I'm gay-neutral. There, I said it. I just don't think my opinion of gays really matters. It seems like every other person on this earth feels the need to LOUDLY voice his or her personal opinion. I don't. My opinion about your personal life (Is it a sin? Is it a choice?) doesn't matter.

I'm afraid that by my silence I've given the wrong impression. Because I'm an environmentalist, people might think I'm ultra-liberal and therefore pro-gay.

Because I'm a Christian, People might think I'm ultra conservative and anti-gay.

I'm neither. I'm pro-love.

Since I'm gay-neutral, I am in favor of legalizing gay marriage. It’s not up to me to decide if two people who love each other should be married. Why should I decide?

Look around. Some of these couples have been together for decades. They're living their lives, keeping jobs, sometimes raising children, whether I acknowledge it or not. Anti-gay laws do nothing whatsoever to promote my "family values." In the state where I live, legal gay marriage has flip-flopped from illegal to legal back to illegal, and in my house I couldn't tell the difference.

I do have one thing to say, though:

I am passionately, vehemently, anti-hate, anti-bullying, anti-holier-than-thou.

Some people would say this isn’t the Christian way to believe. Wrong. I believe this way BECAUSE I am a Christian. Jesus, when He said "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone" (John 8:7) meant that no one should bully another person. No one should oppress another person. Ever. For any reason.

This is an issue I am not neutral on!

My New Year's Resolution

It's the last day of the year 2012. I'm not big on New Year's resolutions. I'm more the daily resolutions type... and frankly, sometimes my resolve doesn't last that long. Hourly resolutions would fit me better. Or... minutely?
I try. I really do. And I've done well in a lot of ways. I gave up smoking decades ago, and never looked back.
But when it comes to things like "loving my neighbor," I can be pretty forgetful. Sometimes it's hard to love my own family. And I don't pray enough, and I don't read my Bible enough, and I need to call my mom, and I'm not a great cook, and the laundry needs to be done...

I think this year, I'll give up... guilt.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17

...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3-23,24

God’s Driving Test

God is Judging You!

This subject is very controversial. Let me start by admitting I don’t know enough about it to say I’m an expert. This is just my “take” on it. It seems that most Christians emphasize GOD’S JUDGMENT too much (YOU’RE going to HELL!) or not at all. (There IS no hell.) I think the answer is somewhere between the extremes. I also believe that I have NO RIGHT to decide how God feels about another person!!!

Yesterday my teenage daughter was practicing for her driving test. In 30 minutes, she drove very well, except for one very BAD mistake. (Frankly, if the other driver weren't paying attention, we would have hit them; maybe even T-boned them!) After we were home safely, I had to talk to her about it. "Do you understand what you did?" I asked. At first, she made an excuse. “The other driver must have sped up.” Then she admitted she knew what she’d done… and she felt bad.

Aren’t we all like this at times? “Me? Sin? No, way!” Then, if we’re honest with ourselves, we admit to sin, repent, and get on with life. Driving erratically may or may not be a sin, but lying to yourself or others… that’s a sin.

What does God do about it? I don’t think He keeps a permanent record of every lie. In fact, our sins are taken “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12 That means as far as we can imagine! No more sins, just for the asking! (Unless we choose to bring them back, of course.) In other words, we've got GRACE!

But… God DOES convict of our sins, and that can be really uncomfortable.

When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: John 16:8

I HAD to bring up my daughter’s mistake, but I did it matter-of-factly. (I also praised her for being a good driver for 29.9 minutes.) I think that's what God's judgment is like. Now that my daughter knows what she did wrong, she’s less likely to do it again. By the time she takes the test, she’ll be ready for it. Perfect? No. (Hey, I’m not a perfect driver either.) But I’m sure she’ll pass. And I’m sure that those who are willing to listen to God’s corrections will do fine in the final judgment. All we have to do is believe:

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17

… a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. Galatians 2:16

If you’re worried about God’s judgment, I really suggest you pray about it and read the Bible. I recommend Christian community, but watch out for those who try to scare people into being Christians.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6

Peace, Love, Mercy

Say You’re Sorry and Mean It

Remember when you were a kid, and you did something naughty to another kid? (C’mon, ‘fess up, you know you did. Especially if you have a brother or a sister.) Maybe you called her a name, like “dummy,” or “fatso.” Or maybe you (gasp) stuck out your tongue at him.

And… you... got... caught.

Then… your mom made you face that other kid (who you were still furious at) and apologize?!?!

It was horrible. After all, sticking your tongue out at that kid was perfectly justifiable. And it wasn’t that bad. Besides, saying you’re sorry is just plain humiliating. Most people would rather eat dirt.

But sometimes you just said sorry, and in ten minutes you were playing together again. And sometimes you just couldn’t do it, and you had to go to your room, or to a chair, or to a corner and “think about it.”

Doing something you’re not supposed to do: That’s sin.

Saying you’re sorry (and meaning it): That’s repentance.

Standing in the corner: Hey, you don’t have to! That’s grace!

There are, however, consequences to sins…

• Run a red light and you might get into an accident. (Or worse, you might get a ticket.)
• Break the law and you could go to jail.
• Drink too much and you might get a hangover.
• Sleep around and you could get sick.
• Hold a grudge and you’ll become a mean old coot.

Do any of these things at your own risk. They’re dangerous, bad and naughty. That’s why they’re sins.

I have sinned, I know I’ll sin again, and God STILL forgives me.

He doesn’t make me stand in a corner, either. Once I say I’m sorry, it’s gone; like it never happened. (Oh, yeah, the consequences still hang around. If I don’t brush my teeth, God forgives me but I still get cavities!)

Know what I do, though? Sometimes I walk myself over to a corner all by myself, stand myself in a corner and FUME. “It’s not fair! I shouldn’t have to apologize! I’m better than that other person. She did it first!”

Wow. What a waste of time. Wouldn’t it be better to just apologize – and mean it – and get on with life?

...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23-24

Like a Trust Fall into God’s Arms

This thought popped into my head this morning:

Give up your preconceived notions because they're all inadequate anyway. They’re not wrong, just inadequate. Just know this: that God loves you and he’ll catch you. That's all.

Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this. Psalm 37:5

Preconceived notions, huh? I guess that means everything I’ve been taught, everything I’ve read, and everything I’ve heard. That’s a big order. But… God is bigger than all that anyway. I’ll have to think about it more, of course. It’s either an inspiration or a delusion.

I honestly don’t know if I can do it, or if I even know what it means. How do I stop striving? How do I stop worrying? Maybe I was wrong. Maybe it was a thought put into my head by the devil... But there I go again, striving.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26

The 12 step programs put it very simply; “Let Go, Let God.” Sometimes I think they have it closer than anyone else:

Step 1. We admitted we were powerless over our addiction (or the effects of addiction) - that our lives had become unmanageable.

'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. Zechariah 4:6

You’re not supposed to move on to step two until you’ve got step one down pat. And that first step is a doozy! It’s like walking on water. It won’t help to understand the molecular structure of water. Just trust.

Step 2. We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. Romans 11:6

If you fall, God will catch you. If you don’t fall, you’ll never know.

Peace, Love, Let Go

Pharisaical: A definition

A.Word.A.Day with thanks to Anu Garg

pharisaical

PRONUNCIATION: (far-uh-SAY-uh-kuhl)

MEANING: adjective: Characterized by hypocritical self-righteousness; putting emphasis on strict observance of rituals unrelated to the spirit or meaning of the ceremony.

ETYMOLOGY: After the Pharisees, a Jewish sect during 1 BCE - 1 CE, whose members were noted for strict observance of rites and rituals, and felt superior because of it. The word is derived via Latin and Greek from Aramaic prishayya, plural of prish (separated).
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The Pharisees made Jesus more angry than any other sinners; more than tax collectors, more than adulterers, more than "real" criminals.
Why? They followed Him around, trying to catch Him in a lie, trying to catch Him sinning. When He acted with compassion toward the blind, the crippled and the sick, they took him to task for doing it on the Sabbath... the wrong day of the week. (Mark 2)
Who were they? They were the "good guys," the "white hats." They did everything right. They were the religious leaders of the day.

Do you know any Pharisees? Anyone who declares loudly that their way is right, and maybe even that anyone who disagrees is going to hell? It's tempting to believe them; their answers seem simple, and they seem so sure of themselves: "Just do all the right things, exactly the right way, and you'll get into heaven; just like me." Whoops! What happened to "for all have sinned..."? (Romans 3:23) What happened to GRACE? (Romans 11:16)

Jesus said to the Pharisees, "You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel." Matthew 23:24

Don't follow the Pharisees. Follow Jesus.

Peace, Love, Discernment

Obama and Grace

When asked why he’s a Christian, (has another president undergone this kind of questioning to “prove” his faith?) Obama said only one thing I disagree with: “...we have Jews, Muslims, Hindus, atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, and that their own path to grace is one that we have to revere and respect as much as our own. And that's part of what makes this country what it is.”

Article: Obama 'Christian by choice'

While I disagree with his statement “path to grace,” I agree that we must respect all people even those of different religions, or no religion. That’s what makes us Americans; not insisting they agree with us.

As for “paths to grace,” the closest I believe is that God doesn’t send good people to hell. Rather, I believe “good” non-Christians don’t know Him YET. If people are striving to do the right thing as they see it, they will meet Him face-to-face, they will recognize Him, and they will run into His arms. I can’t believe anything different; “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8

Do I believe there are other “paths to grace?” No. Being a good person doesn’t get you in. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 But He does accept people at any point in their lives, even at the very end. That’s why the robber on the cross saw Jesus in paradise. That’s why the Prodigal son got a feast when he came home. That’s why I know that, no matter how much I mess up, I know in my heart that Jesus loves me. He’s not looking the other way – He knows I’m trying, and he knows I fail. (Not cheap grace – “I’ve just live for myself and change at the last second.” Pfff. God is smarter than that.)

Grace is the coolest thing about Christianity! “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 I couldn't work my way to heaven, or to paradise or nirvana or anywhere else. I'm just too flawed.

As an American, I respect all people of all faiths.
As a Christian, I invite you to meet Jesus.

One more thing: Barack Obama is my president right now. I respect him. If he says he’s a Christian, he’s a Christian.

Peace, Love, Grace

What’s so Bad About Sin?

Which do you want to hear first; the bad news, or the good news?
Okay, first the bad news: you’re a sinner. So am I. Wait! Don't go away yet; hear me out!
Nowadays, I think the concept of “sin” trips us up. I’m not about damning or hellfire – not at all – but I am all about grace, and grace is no good without admitting that I sin.

Sin is not a popular concept. Many belief systems exclude sin, or at least dance around it. There’s Carl Rogers and secular humanism. (In a nutshell; the idea that nothing you do is wrong, unless it hurts you or someone else.) Actually, I’m in favor of humanism... and I love Carl Rogers and what he started, because it emphasizes unconditional love. I strongly agree with this concept. But the idea of sin has been pushed aside. Eastern religions don't talk about sin. instead, they have the idea of karma... what you do, good or bad, has consequences. Even in atheism, there's the idea of good and bad ethics. So, most everyone admits that we do wrong sometimes.
If you do something that hurts you or someone else, what could you call it? Hmmm... how about sin? There. That wasn’t so hard was it? I just gave a name to the things we do that are hurtful.

"But wait," you say, "are you saying I’m a sinner? What are you implying, pal? Don't tell me I'm going to hell!"
No, I’m not one of those to name your sins. That’s between you and God. I’m not going to stand on a street corner with a sign that says “God hates you.” (He doesn’t.)

So call it hurtful actions, mistakes, unethical conduct, bad karma, bad ideas... no matter what you call it, we do things that are... wrong. I call it sin.

Okay, I told you there would be good news. Here it is:
If you admit you’re a sinner, you can accept forgiveness, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 ...and... grace.

What’s grace?
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—." Ephesians 2:8
"Grace" in Greek, charis (χαρις), means "that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness"... and good will, loving-kindness, favor of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues.

I don’t know much about eastern religions, but I think that grace, or the nearest thing to it, must be earned. I won't speak for anyone else, but I’m not good enough to earn my way into heaven or nirvana.

(If you want to know what God thinks of sinners, read the story of the "Prodigal son." Luke 15:11-32)

Isn’t that great? All you have to do is admit you've sinned, and stop doing hurtful things. With grace, it’s as if you’ve done nothing wrong. That’s far better than pretending you never make a mistake, isn’t it?

Peace, Love and Forgiveness

Learn to Float

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

Why is it so hard to understand grace? I believe it’s because grace is a balancing point between effort and effortlessness.
On the one hand, we need to do what’s right; That’s the LAW.
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 1 Corinthians 15:56

But... He’s offered us a free gift – a free pass into heaven – even if we don’t obey the law.
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 1 John 2

Huh? Is He allowing us to sin, or not? Why is God so confusing???
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17

Grace shouldn’t be so hard to understand. We use it with our kids all the time, and with our friends, and with our spouses. “Don’t do that,” we say. But the kids leave a mess all over the house anyway... or they pick their noses, or they refuse to do homework, or they stay out past curfew, or they...
Where was I? Oh, yeah. I’m a parent. I get mad, but I love my kids anyway. “Do it better next time, okay? You don’t want me to ground you; I don’t want to ground you.” But they disobey, again, and I ground them... again.
Why do I punish? Because I want them to learn. I want them to grow up to be good people. Because I love them.

So why should it be different with God? I don’t believe he punishes directly. (Read the book of Job.) But I do believe He gets angry with us, and He loves us. He can do both at once. It’s not such a stretch.
“Please forgive me,” you pray. “I’ll try harder next time. I really do mean it.” You don’t want to do it again, right? So, rely on grace. Go ahead.

In fact, if you’re a Christian, and you try to rely on the law to “save yourself,” you lose it.
You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. Galatians 5:4

There’s a line there somewhere. Cheap grace is wrong. (If you’re into a little heavy reading, try The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.) Abusing grace is like when an addict goes straight for a while to appease someone, but they don’t mean it... They’re only waiting for their next chance. That’s not real grace. And, come on... God knows if you mean to sin again or if you don’t.

Depending on God is like learning to float. You can’t do it if you thrash about. People drown that way. You can only float on the water if you relax.

God loves you. Depend on Him. Relax... That's it.. You’re experiencing grace.

Peace, love, & grace